


Treasure Hunt

by Zylo



Series: Insanity AU [18]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Do not read chapter ten until after you've seen the Intrusive Thoughts episode, Fantasy, Fantasy elements, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pirates, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-01-14 23:37:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18486778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zylo/pseuds/Zylo
Summary: A mysterious book and a treasure map lead to adventure.Side story set during The Darkness.





	1. The Book

All was unusually silent until the tell-tale sound of a portal appearing broke it. Stepping through was Gunther, a concerned look on his face. He had received word earlier from Thomas that something had gone awry before it abruptly cut off. Looking around now though, everything seemed to be in place. "Thomas?" The demon called out, closing the portal behind him. Walking around slowly, he kept an ear out for any noise. "I got your message...or part of it at least."

  
' _Still nothing_ ,' Gunther thought, a frown forming on his face. ' _I'll check upstairs first. Usually one of the others hear me even if he doesn't.'_ Moving quickly, he stopped and checked his room first. Other than a few misplaced movies on his desk, he didn't notice anything odd. Continuing on, he walked down the hall towards Thomas's room, where the faint sound of a tv was coming from. ' _Bingo_.'

  
Cracking open the door, he saw Thomas asleep on his bed while the tv played in the background. Grabbing the remote, he shut it off before shaking the human gently. "Thomas? Wake up," he whispered.

  
"...Huh? Wha-?" Thomas blinked his eyes, looking around blearily before his vision focused. Once it did, he sat up, "Gunther? Did you get my message?"

  
"Part of it," Gunther answered, sitting down on the desk chair. "It got cut off after you said that something came up."

  
Thomas scratched the back of his head as he thought about it, "Oh yeah, that must've been around the time when the others started arguing."

  
Gunther raised a brow, "Arguing? Over what?"

  
"I- uh- I found this book at the library," Thomas said, reaching over towards his book bag. "I don't remember checking it out or even picking it up. It doesn't have a proper cover or library number either," he continued, pulling out a plain brown book with yellowing pages and handing it over. "When I looked through it...well, have a look yourself."

  
However, the minute he went to open the book Aiden and Arlo appeared, no doubt finally realizing that Gunther was back.

  
"Gun," Aiden said, patting him on the back.

  
Gunther nodded his head in acknowledgement, "Aiden. Arlo."

  
"You two wasted no time," Thomas commented, watching as the two sides hugged Gunther.

  
"And he wasted no time coming back home," Aiden remarked.

  
"Speaking of, we were just discussing why Thomas needed me to come back here so soon," Gunther said, glancing down at the book. "Apparently there was some arguing over this thing?"

  
"Unfortunately," Arlo sighed, crossing his arms. "We'll fill you in after you look through the book."

  
"Hmm." Opening the book, Gunther began to flip through it, realizing that most of the pages were blank. "Odd..." He muttered as he continued to turn the pages. Near the middle, text started appearing but he couldn't make out most of it, the ink long since started to fade with time. Eventually, the ineligible text gave way to the final page where a worn out picture of a skull and crossbones had been drawn. "Hold on a second..." Gunther said, noticing that the " _last_ " page was stuck to another upon closer inspection. Grabbing the corner, he pulled the two pages apart as slowly as possible, not wanting to risk damage.

  
"What in the world?" Thomas asked, eyes focused on the book itself.

  
"We are _not_ burning a book!" Logan yelled as he appeared, startling the rest of them. Beside him was Remy, who was scrolling through his phone.

  
"Here we go _again_..." Thomas muttered, feeling a headache coming on.

  
"All this over a _book_?" Gunther grumbled, ears turned back.

  
"It appeared out of nowhere and has a skull on the last page so it's _probably_ cursed," Remy pointed out before nodding at Gunther. "Oh cool, you're back."

  
" _Seriously_ guys," Virgil said, appearing next to Logan, "if you're going to go through this argument again, do it downstairs."

  
"My apologies, Virgil," Logan said calmly, looking at him. "We will do as you suggested. However, have you come to a personal decision in this debate?"

  
Virgil slumped his shoulders, just wanting to sleep his worries away for the time being. "Yeah, whatever you do, just get rid of it. That thing is putting me on edge."

  
"No one is doing _anything_ just yet," Gunther said firmly, finally un-sticking the two pages. "There we go..."

  
Arlo looked over Gunther's shoulder at the book and blinked as the page unfolded into two. "Is that... _a map_?"

  
This question got the attention of the others in the room. "Let me see," Thomas said, holding the book carefully as Gunther passed it to him. "Well...it's a map alright - a _treasure_ map if the red " _X_ " is anything to go by."

  
"Odd. None of those places labeled are any we've ever heard of," Logan stated, studying the paper.

  
"What about the Demon Realm? Any of those names ring any bells, Gunther?" Thomas asked.

  
"None to my knowledge," Gunther said, shaking his head.

  
Peering over Thomas's shoulder, Remy noticed something odd about the " _X_ ". ' _...That better just be my eyes playing tricks,_ ' he thought to himself. "Hey guys, might want to take a closer look at the map."

  
"What're you talking about?" Virgil muttered, looking over Thomas's other shoulder. Sure enough, he noticed the same thing that Remy did. "...It's _glowing_. That thing is glowing, _get rid of it_!" That was the last thing any of them were able to say before a bright light enveloped the room. When it died down, the book fell to the floor, the room now empty of its occupants.


	2. Pirates

When Thomas later awoke, it was to a clear sky with the sun shining brightly. Confused, he sat up and felt sand under his hands. "What the-?" Looking around, he quickly took in that he was no longer in his bedroom but was instead on a beach. Nearby, the others lied unconscious on the beach, each of them wearing what appeared to be pirate clothes.

  
Gradually feeling more lost as the seconds ticked by, he got himself to his feet and let out a startled gasp; his own clothes were that of a pirate's now, complete with a captain's hat sitting atop his head. Shaking his head, he decided that his first course of action should be to check up on his friends; he could dwell on the current situation afterwards. Running over to them, he knelt down next to Virgil and shook his shoulder. "Virge? Virgil, wake up!"

  
A groan followed by a moment of silence was his answer before Virgil shot to his feet, looking around frantically. "Where the hell are we?!"

  
"Kind of still trying to figure that out," Thomas answered, standing up and putting his hands on Virgil's shoulders. "Just focus on me right now, Virge. We're safe - granted, we look like pirates - but we're safe."

  
Virgil took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "...Okay...okay yeah, you're right, we- we're safe right now."

  
Thomas nodded his head, "Exactly. Come on, let's wake the others up."

  
Once the two had checked up on the other five and determined that everyone was alright, albeit very confused at the moment, they sat down in a circle with the book in the middle of them. "So...we know what caused this," Aiden said, glancing at the book, "just not how or why..."

  
"Or even where we are," Remy pointed out, looking less then pleased by this turn of events.

  
"Correction - I have a guess as to where we are," Logan stated, gesturing towards the book. "That light came forth after the map was discovered. We are now on a beach, dressed in clothes from the age of pirates - my guess is that this area is one of the places marked on the map."

  
"In short - magic," Gunther muttered, shaking his head. He reached for the book and opened it, taking the map out to study it. "...Well, you're right - there's a beach on here is called Starshine Shores...and it's glowing just like that " _X_ " was."

  
"I'm gonna guess that's where we're at right now," Remy muttered.

  
"So what are we supposed to do?" Virgil asked. "Just blindly follow that thing?"

  
"It _is_ the only thing we have to go off of," Arlo said. "It's not ideal but it's better than wandering around _aimlessly_."

  
"...Thomas, what do you think?" Virgil asked, looking over at their host.

  
Thomas shrugged, "Well, it was the " _X_ " specifically that the light came from..."

  
Before anything more could be said, Roman appeared from the mindscape, looking less than pleased. "Why have my clothes changed to that of a scraggly pirate's?!"

  
"Looks good on you Princey," Virgil said, smirking at Roman's huffing while Logan just shook his head.

  
"Are the others awake?" Logan asked, interrupting Roman's would-be rant.

  
Roman blinked and took a moment to take in where he currently was. Looking around, he then realized that the others were in similar pirate gear. "...Yeah, they are. Better question - _what's going on_?"

  
"Still working that out," Aiden answered, "but we're pretty sure that book is behind this."

  
"Yeah, so can you get the others, Roman?" Thomas asked.

  
"...Of course," Roman said, looking confused, "I'll be right back."

* * *

  
Unbeknownst to the group, trouble was hiding among the trees further inland. A group of pirates were collecting food, loading as much as they could into crates. One of them, much more well-dressed than the rest, was looking through a telescope.

  
"Captain Striker?" One of his men asked quietly.

  
"Aye? What is it?" He responded, his attention remaining unbroken.

  
"The crates are full. We're ready to head back to the ship," the lowly pirate answered.

  
"Good. Go on then," Striker said, moving to put the telescope into his coat. "Keep a low profile; other pirates have stepped foot on the shore." He was met with a salute and an " _aye sir_ ".

  
"Don't know where they came from but they better not be after me treasure," he muttered to himself. "...Best be keepin' an eye on them; the crew can afford a short break after all."

* * *

  
"I have a question - if we follow that map, wouldn't we need some kind of ship for traveling?" Teal asked, looking over Thomas's shoulder at the map, as the group made their way along the shoreline.

  
Stalking along through the trees just within earshot was Striker, occasionally taking glances at the map through his telescope. ' _Definitely the map I need..._ '

  
"We'll...think of something... _somehow_ ," Thomas offered, having overlooked that obvious issue in the immediate confusion following their arrival.

  
"Oh, that's _definitely_ reassuring," Andy muttered, Virgil nodding his head in agreement.

  
Striker raised an eyebrow at that, ' _Well, I love when a plan falls into my lap. Time to go introduce myself then..._ ' Walking towards them, he waved his hand and offered up a friendly smile, "Ahoy there!"

  
"Uh- ...hi!" Thomas said, offering a smile in return as the person walked up to the group. "Who are you?"

  
"Striker's the name - _Captain_ Striker," Striker said, introducing himself while taking off his hat and bowing slightly. "I couldn't help but notice that y'all seem to be lookin' a bit lost, Mister...?"

  
"My name is Thomas," he answered, fiddling with his own hat, "err... " _Captain Thomas_ " and...yeah, we kind of are."

  
Striker tilted his head, looking at them curiously, "Did ye get shipwrecked or somethin'?"

  
Thomas tensed, unsure of how to go about trying to come up with an explanation that didn't involve the book or map. ' _Those things are our ticket home...hopefully. We have to keep them safe from everything and everyone._ ' "Not...exactly? One of my crew - Mendax - he can explain what happened better than I can." He then shot Mendax a nervous look that said ' _do something_ '.

  
Mendax stepped forward calmly, already having something in mind. "Our ship was destroyed in the middle of a storm. Got thrown overboard and when we woke up, we'd been washed ashore," he lied easily.

  
"Ah, that's a darn shame," Striker said, a glint in his eyes. "Didn't happen to lose anything valuable, did ye?"

  
"No, sir," Mendax continued, "everything is completely gone. Most likely sunk to the bottom of the ocean."

  
"Hmm...well, seeing how bad of luck you've been dealt, I wouldn't feel right just leavin' ya alone," Striker replied, looking at the group. "Assuming your captain agrees, I'd be willin' to let y'all on my ship; just long enough until we get to the next port."

  
Thomas glanced at the rest of his friends to get a feel for where they stand on the idea. Walking away from Striker for the moment, the group took some time to discuss what they should do. Whispering among themselves, they ultimately decided to take Striker up on his offer while making sure to keep both the book and the map hidden. Once they reached the port, they'd see about acquiring a ship of their own.

  
Walking back to Striker, Thomas smiled at him, "Thank you for the offer, Captain Striker. We wish to take you up on it."

  
Striker grinned and pat him on the shoulder, "Excellent! Just follow me then, my ship and crew are waitin' eastwards."

  
As Striker began leading them away, he went over his plan in his head. ' _Just gotta make this nice and easy; get them to Sunrock Port, nab that map, and hightail it back to the open waters._ '


	3. Striker's Story

Later that day, Thomas and some his friends were sitting around below deck, having been assigned a section of beds for them to rest in; the rest were above, doing their best to stay out of the other crew's way. Thomas had originally asked Striker if he needed any help around the ship but the captain declined.

  
_"Don't ya worry about that. After that run of bad luck, ye could use a break."_

  
"You don't _actually_ trust that guy, do you?" Virgil asked, sitting across from Thomas.

  
Thomas shook his head, " _No_ but we needed a way to get off Starshine Shores that wouldn't take _weeks_. None of us know how to build a boat, let alone a pirate ship."

  
Virgil sighed and leaned back against the metal frame of the bed, "...Yeah, I'll give you that I guess..."

  
"I have a question," Teal said, "even when we get to the port, _how_ are we going to get our hands on a ship? We have no money on us...whatever it is they use."

  
"Okay," Remy began, "before anyone objects, hear me out-"

  
"Oh, this'll be good," Andy snarked, grinning as Remy shot him an offended look.

  
"As I _was_ _saying_ \- we're dressed like _pirates_ , in a _world_ of pirates, so we should do what they'd do and steal a ship," Remy explained.

  
This suggestion was met with silence before Thomas finally spoke in a deadpan tone, " _What?_ "

  
"...Eh, he kind of has a point," Teal said, shrugging his shoulders. "We wanna get home as soon as possible then we'll need our own ship, one way or another."

  
"That's not gonna happen if we get _thrown in jail_!" Virgil snapped.

  
"Which'll _only_ happen if we _get caught,_ " Remy shot back.

  
Andy let out a frustrated huff and got up from his own bed. "Oh no, we're _not_ having another overblown fight about what to do," he said, shooting both of them a " _don't even try it_ " look. " _Got it?_ " Reluctantly, Virgil nodded his head while Remy muttered out a " _got it_ ".

  
Thomas let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks Andy. ...We'll just... We'll figure out what to do once we actually reach Sunrock."

* * *

  
"So how long have y'all been sailin' the high seas?" Striker asked, one hand on the ship's wheel, the other holding his telescope up to his eye.

  
"Not too long," Mendax muttered, watching the crew go about their business. "What about you, Captain?"

  
"Hm... only thing for certain is that it's been years. It all blurs together after awhile," Striker answered, putting his telescope down for the time being.  "Tell me something - have any of ye ever heard of the Kraken?"

  
"Oh, I have!" Roman said, looking up from the drawing he was doodling on some scrap paper.

  
"Aye? Whatcha know about it then?" Striker asked, an entertained look on his face.

  
"It's a legendary beast! One that lives deep under the waves, capable of crushing ships with its massive tentacles!" Roman said excitedly.

  
"One that's just a _myth_ ," Logan stated, shaking his head as Roman pouted.

  
"That's where yer wrong, matey," Striker said, turning his attention to Logan. "I can say with certainty that the fearsome Kraken _does_ exist."

  
"... _What?_ " Logan deadpanned, clearly not believing what he just heard.

  
Striker nodded his head, "Heard me right. I can tell ye the tale if ye like."

  
"I think our captain and the rest of our crew would want to hear it as well," Mendax stated, not detecting a lie from Striker so far about the beast.

  
"A good point," Striker said, "go round up the others and I'll meet y'all below deck."

  
"I'll do it," Roman called out, already headed towards the bow of the ship. Upon reaching the others, he saw that they were in the middle of a card game. "What're you guys playing?"

  
"Go Fish!" Patton said happily.

  
"I tried to teach them how to play Poker," Gunther muttered, "didn't work out too well."

  
"Well, you might want to put your game on hold at the moment," Roman said, "Captain Striker has a story he wants to share with us."

  
"What kind of story?" Pryce asked, putting his cards in the pile.

  
"A story about the legendary Kraken," Roman said excitedly.

  
"The Kraken?" Dayd asked, gathering up the rest of the cards and putting them in his pants pocket. "I thought that was just a myth?"

  
"So did Specs, but Striker claimed that it was real - and Mendax _didn't_ call him out on lying about it," Roman added, grinning as that detail definitely got their full attention.

  
"Hm... Alright, I gotta hear Striker's story then," Aiden said, getting up and holding out a hand to both Arlo and Gunther.

  
"Same," Arlo agreed, letting himself be pulled to his feet.

  
"What's the Kraken?" Patton asked, looking confused.

  
"According to many a legend, it's a giant sea monster that terrorizes sailors," Pryce answered.

  
"That apparently exists here," Dayd said, shaking his head. "I just hope we _never_ run into it then."

* * *

  
Once everyone was gathered downstairs, Striker pulled up a chair and looked around. "Alright, everyone's here, aye?"

  
Thomas nodded his head, "Aye, sir."

  
"Good, then I'll begin the tale," Striker answered.

  
"This story takes place back when I was a young kid - ten years of age. My family specialized in the trading business - well, most of them anyway. One day in particular, one of my uncles asked my parents if I could go with him on one of his trading voyages. After much begging and pleading they finally, albeit _very reluctantly_ , agreed and I couldn't be happier.

  
"It was a simple enough trip going _to_ our destination; the return home was a vastly different experience. In the middle of our voyage, we were attacked by a bunch of pirates. Their own ship in shambles, they hopped aboard and took my uncle and his crew hostage. Looking back on it now, I suppose that had I been older, I too would have been in the same state as them.

  
"Anyway, the pirates threw my uncle and his crew into the ship's brig but let me roam around under constant supervision. I lost track of time after the first few days but eventually, one of them shouted from the crow's nest that they saw land. At first I was hopeful - there had been talks about dropping the lot of us off while they took the ship proper and disappeared into the night. It wasn't ideal but it was far better than the current situation.

  
"Just as I thought our luck was finally beginning to turn around, a storm hit us, the waves tossing us wherever they pleased. Some of the pirates fell overboard and weren't seen again; those that didn't tried their hardest to fight a losing battle against nature. At the peak of the storm, a loud roar was heard - everyone thought it was more thunder, until a giant tentacle shot up from the watery depths. With a mighty swing, it slammed down into the ship, sending the crew scrambling about for some kind of safety. However, another tentacle shot into the air following the first and repeated the actions.

  
"Everything after that became a blind haze, filled with screams and the sound of wood cracking and breaking. I felt myself hit the cold water, only to be swept up by wave after wave. Despite my best attempts, I couldn't get away from the area and at some point, I blacked out. When I finally woke up, I was confused to say the least - I was back home, safe in my bedroom. After being checked on by my parents and the local doctor, they explained that I had washed ashore, clinging to a broken piece of wood.

  
"When questioned about my experience, i explained to them about the pirates and the Kraken. My parents easily accepted the pirates and the storm - all unfortunate risks of the business - but the Kraken? They insisted that part _must_ have been a _nightmare_ , my mind's way of coping with the events that occurred. Unfortunately, my uncle and his crew's bodies were _never_ recovered and over the years, I gave up trying to explain how the final events of his life actually happened."

  
Everyone was silent, some of them sending glances towards Mendax. In turn Mendax shook his head; he detected no lies in the story. "...So...why did you become a pirate if they're the ones who took your uncle hostage?" Thomas finally asked, looking up at Striker.

  
" _Why_? Because after that, my parents tried to _forbid me_ from ever stepping foot on a ship again... And, perhaps I may hope that one day, I will encounter the Kraken once more," Striker said, standing up. "If only just to _prove_ to someone else - my crew - that what I saw _wasn't_ a mere nightmare." With that, he headed towards the stairs, "I'll be above deck if ye need anything."


	4. Sleepless Night

Teal huffed as he sat up in the cot, looking around at the others. It was the middle of the night and while everyone else seemed to be sleeping as well as possible on the ship, he found that he wasn't so lucky. Standing up, he decided that some fresh air would do himself some good and quietly made his way to the stairs. Once the cool breeze hit his face, he let out a sigh and began wandering around idly.

  
Hardly paying any mind to his surroundings, he didn't register the sound of a door opening or footsteps coming closer. Only once a shadow fell over him did he snap to attention, looking up into the face of Striker himself. "I thought I heard someone walkin' 'round," Striker said, moving away from him a bit. "Can't ye sleep?"

  
"I... _no_ sir," Teal sighed, slumping his shoulders.

  
Striker stared hard at Teal, as if silently judging him, before his gaze surprisingly softened. "Teal - _right_?"

  
Teal nodded his head, "Correct."

  
"Something on yer mind, I take it?" Striker asked.

  
"Just...homesick I guess would be the closest answer," Teal said, shrugging his shoulders.

  
An understanding look crossed Striker's face, "Ah, I know the feelin'."

  
Teal looked at him in surprise, "You do?"

  
Striker nodded his head and walking over to one of the ships rails, leaning forward against it. " _Aye_. I love what I do but sometimes I find myself missing my childhood home."

  
Teal hesitantly walked over to join him, "Have you ever gone back?"

  
"Occasionally. Mostly in the middle of the night to restock on supplies - don't need any of the elders recognizing me," Striker muttered. He then reached into his coat pocket and took out his telescope. Looking through it, he moved his head around a bit before he let out a quiet " _aha_ ".

  
"What'd you see?" Teal asked, shooting him a confused look.

  
Striker looked up and handed the telescope to Teal, "Careful with this. Want to see why Starshine Shores got its name?"

  
Teal blinked and moved his glasses up temporarily, holding the telescope up to his eye, "Sure?" After several minutes of looking, he finally spotted the location and saw what Striker was talking about. In the distance moonlight shined down on the beach, casting it in a faint glow, with specific spots glowing brightly instead. "Woah..."

  
"Ye see? No one knows _why_ those spots glow so bright - nothing sticks as out of the ordinary during the day - but people have likened them to the stars in the sky at night," Striker explained.

  
"That's amazing..." Teal said, handing the telescope back to Striker before fixing his glasses.

  
"Aye," Striker agreed. "...You should probably try to get some sleep ye know. The sun won't be rising for a while yet."

  
"...Yeah, I know," Teal muttered. "What about you?"

  
"As long as nothing comes up then I aim to," Striker said, turning and walking towards his personal quaters. With one final look out towards the ocean, Teal walked back towards the stairs and headed below deck.

* * *

  
The minute he sat down on the cot, Dayd was sitting up and facing him. "You alright, Teal?" Dayd asked quietly, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

  
Teal nodded, "Yeah, just couldn't sleep." The next thing he knew, Dayd was sitting beside him, a hand on his back.

  
"You want me wake Remy? He could probably help," Dayd said, rubbing his back.

  
Shaking his head, Teal leaned against the other figment, "No, it's not bad enough to wake him."

  
"Hmm..." Dayd perked up as an idea came to mind. "Move away from the cot for a minute." Standing up and walking around to his own cot, he waited for Teal to do as he said before he began moving the cot as quietly as possible. Quickly, both were side by side and Dayd motioned for Teal to sit down again.

  
"Huh, clever," Teal said, a small smile on his face, laying down on his own cot.

  
"I thought so," Dayd replied, laying down next to him. As soon as he did, Teal moved to wrap his arms around Dayd, cuddling close to him. Wrapping his own arms around Teal, he rested his chin on the other's head. "Better?"

  
"Better," Teal whispered. Stifling a yawn, he began to relax as he felt Dayd start rubbing his back again.

  
"Sleep," Dayd whispered, his own eyes closing.

  
"Don't have to tell me twice," Teal muttered, finally feeling at ease enough to do so.

* * *

  
The next day Teal and Dayd were awoken by Thomas shaking them. "Guys, it's morning and Striker said we should almost be at Sunrock by now."

  
Teal merely groaned and buried his face in Dayd's chest, ignoring what Thomas said. "Don't mind him Thomas," Dayd explained, "he was having trouble sleeping last night."

  
Thomas let out a sigh and shook his head, "He's not the only one. Pretty sure I heard Remy complaining a few times."

  
"That's not good. I'll deal with getting Teal up then," Dayd said. "You go focus on waking the others, alright?"

  
"Good luck," Thomas joked, snickering as he heard an annoyed huff come from Teal.

  
"Teal?" Dayd asked, nudging Teal's arm slightly once Thomas was out of sight. In response, Teal just clung to him tighter, muttering something unintelligible. "What was that?"

  
"I'm _awake_ ," Teal said, moving his face away, "I'm not _up_ but I'm _awake_. Good enough?"

  
"For now," Dayd said, "you do have to get up eventually though. I don't think Striker wants us staying on his ship longer than necessary."

  
"...You got a point," Teal relented after a few minutes. Sitting up, he freed Dayd from his grasp and shook his head, "The sooner we get out of this mess the better."

  
"You're telling me," Dayd agreed, standing up and walking around to the other figment. Holding his hand out, he pulled Teal up from the cot. "Come on, the others are probably up by now." As if on cue, they heard Remy complaining in the distance about being awoken.

  
"...Change " _probably_ " to " _definitely_ "," Teal muttered, a grin slowly crossing his face while Dayd just shook his head.


	5. Sunrock

"Drop anchor!" Striker commanded to one of his crew.

  
"Drop anchor!" The crew member echoed, shouting as loud as possible.

  
"Captain Striker?" Thomas asked, walking towards him. Striker turned to face him and gave a small grin.

  
"We're here - come see," Striker said, motioning for Thomas to stand beside him. From the side of the ship, they could see people going about their jobs on Sunrock's docks. The docks led way into a well-kept fishing town, situated just below a hill with a large house above.

  
"Woah..." Thomas whispered in awe, "...what's that place on the hill?"

  
"That'd be the house for the current mayor," Striker replied. "Was built ages ago by the founder of Sunrock."

  
"...Do you think he could get me a ship?" Thomas asked, glancing up at Striker.

  
"Aye, as long as ye don't go causing trouble here; he's pretty understanding," Striker answered, walking away. "All ashore that's going ashore!" Taking that as his cue, Thomas went to gather his friends, all of them by now having had enough time to wake up. Once he was out of eyesight, one of the crew spoke to Striker.

  
"Eh, so Captain - how're we gonna get that map of theirs?" He asked in a whisper, keeping a weary eye out for them to come back at any moment.

  
"Simple - first mate Jess will take some of the crew and follow them without bein' caught. Once they're alone, Jess will lead an ambush and swipe the map," Striker explained, looking over his shoulder briefly. When he saw Thomas return above deck, his friends in tow, Striker mouthed the words " _start cleaning_ " to the crew member before walking over.

  
"Well, looks like we'll be partin' ways here," Striker said, leading them off the boat, "good luck with your talkin' to the mayor and all."

  
"Thanks Captain Striker," Thomas said, "we owe you one."

  
"Ah, don't worry about that," Striker replied, waving his hand. As the group left, his gaze never strayed. ' _After all, I'm about to get what I want from ye_.'

  
"Captain?" A voice said as someone walked towards him.

  
"Jess," Striker acknowledged, "have you chosen your part of the crew?"

  
"Aye Captain," Jess said, "they're waitin' for the go ahead."

  
"...Get going then - and make sure you look as inconspicuous as possible when goin' through town..." Striker muttered, a scowl on his face.

  
"This had better be an _easy_ job," Jess muttered, glancing up at Striker.

  
"Your goal is _the map_ ," Striker said sternly, "do what you must to get it but keep any injuries towards them to a _minimum_. _Understood_?"

  
"...Aye, sir," Jess answered, letting out a sigh. "You sure this is the right map?"

  
Striker merely nodded his head, " _Go._ "

* * *

  
As Thomas and his friends headed through Sunrock towards the mayor's house, a worried feeling clung to Virgil. Tapping Andy on the shoulder, he quietly voiced his concerns as the group went on ahead. "Someone is following us," Virgil whispered, glancing between the group and the path they came from. " _I know it_."

  
Andy looked around before his eyes narrowed, his body tensing as he got hit by the same feeling of being followed. "...We'll stay behind the others just in case. If someone is following, they won't catch us off guard."

  
"Oh really?" A voice behind the two said. Both of them jumped back, startled by the sudden appearance of a pirate holding a dagger.

  
"Oh you've gotta be kidding me," Andy muttered, a scowl on his face as he made a grab for the pirate's wrist. However, the pirate waved his arm, stabbing at the air around him with the weapon, forcing Andy to step back. While this was going on, Virgil rushed at the pirate and grabbed him from behind.

  
"Pops! Dad!" Virgil shouted, getting the attention of the others.

  
"What the-?" Arlo cut himself off at the sight before them as more pirates came rushing from the town onto the path. "An ambush!"

  
"A lousy attempt at one," Aiden snarked, rushing back down the path, Gunther and Arlo himself quickly following.

  
"Logan, you have the book and the map with you, right?" Thomas asked quickly, glancing between the enemy pirates and the house.

  
"Affirmative, they are in the satchel that came with this clothing change," Logan responded, looking at Thomas questioningly.

  
"Alright, here's the plan - you, Patton, Remy, and I are going to make a run for the mayor's house. Everyone else - send those guys fleeing for the docks," Thomas ordered, forcing himself to sound calm despite the situation.

  
"Are you su-?" Patton was interrupted by Remy.

  
"Fine by me. Good luck guys," Remy said quickly, turning and hightailing it up the path.

  
"Figured he'd agree to that," Thomas muttered as he shook his head, grabbing Logan's and Patton's arms and pulling them up along the path.

* * *

  
"The hell do you guys _want_?" Andy snapped, ducking out of the way of a punch from one of the pirates.

  
" _The map_! Give it up!" The pirate hissed, only to get kicked in the back by Mendax. "Argh!"

  
"Leave the hissing to a professional," Mendax snarked, elbowing a pirate that tried to sneak up on him. Said pirate stumbled back, doubled over in pain, cursing Mendax all the while.

  
"The map is _ours_!" Roman yelled, his sword clashing with one of the pirate's cutlasses. "We're _not_ giving it up!"

  
"Aye, we'll see about _that_!" The pirate grunted, swinging his cutlass again, only for it to be blocked once more.

  
While the fighting continued in every direction, Jess stood back and watched in amusement. ' _Wait a minute...where's their captain?_ ' Before another thought could form, Jess was forced to dodge out of the way, barely avoiding an arrow. "What-?"

  
Teal loaded another bolt into his crossbow, aiming it at Jess, "Call them off."

  
"And _what_ makes you think I have _anything_ to do with _them_?" Jess asked, arms crossed as she scowled at Teal.

  
"I saw _you_ on Striker's ship," Teal answered curtly, glaring at her as the sounds of fighting continued behind him.

  
"Ah, so at least one of you was paying attention to your surroundings I see," Jess remarked, shrugging her shoulders. "Still, doesn't change a thing. We're here for the map - hand it over and I'll gladly call them off."

  
"That map is our way _home_ ," Teal argued, finger moving to the crossbow's trigger. "I'm _not_ going to say it a third time - _call. them. off._ "

  
"...Ya know, Striker actually ordered us to keep injuries to a _minimum_...but in this case, it's self-defense," Jess said, suddenly rushing at Teal. Immediately Teal shot his crossbow at the same time he was tackled to the ground, the bolt hitting a nearby tree. Pulling a dagger out of her coat pocket, Jess glared down at him. "This'll only hurt a bit..."

  
"You're right, _it_ _will_." Jess snapped her head up in surprise, only to get sucker punched by Dayd. As she stumbled back, the dagger fell to the ground with a thud and Dayd helped Teal to his feet. "Are you okay?"

  
Teal nodded his head, reloading his crossbow, "Yeah, thanks for the save there."

  
Jess jumped back to her feet with a growl, "You got lucky is all."

  
" _Shut it_ ," Dayd ordered angrily, while Teal aimed his weapon at Jess. "You can either retreat or get hit with something worse than a fist - and that's _not_ a _threat_ , that's a _promise_."

  
Jess seemed to take a moment to weigh her options. Glancing behind them, it was clear that the rest of Striker's crew were starting to get worn out; some were bleeding while others sustained injuries that would show themselves over time no doubt. "...I told him this had better of been an easy job... Stand down!" She begrudgingly called out, "We're going back to the ship!"

  
"But what about the map?!" One of them called out in surprise.

  
"Our job-!" Another was cut off.

  
"Our job here is a damn _failure_! Now do as _I order_ or get left _behind_!" Jess commanded, glaring at Teal and Dayd after the fact. "I'll _remember_ this; _don't_ think for one second that this is _over_ ," she threatened, turning and stalking back down towards the town. With several curses and complaints, the rest of the crew reluctantly followed her.

  
"We're _not_ seriously just letting them go!?" Aiden yelled, looking ticked off.

  
"... _Thomas_ said to send them fleeing back to the docks," Teal said, never taking his eyes off of the retreating group. "They _didn't_ get what they wanted - we'll all be ready for them _next time_."


	6. A New Plan

"I'll be right there!" A voice called beyond the door, silencing the frantic knocking. Several long moments later, a well-dressed old man answered the door. Adjusting his glasses, he took in the sight before him. "Yes? Who are you?"

  
"...Mr. Mayor? My name is Thomas and these are three of my friends - Logan, Patton, and Remy. Captain Striker dropped us off at Sunrock-" Thomas was cut off by the mayor.

  
"Oh! You know ol' Striker? Well then, what can I do for you?" The mayor said, stepping out of his house, cane in hand.

  
"Well...I need a ship. Ours got lost in a storm recently and we ended up on Starshine Shores," Thomas said, remembering the tale Mendax came up with. ' _I hope the others are okay..._ '

  
"A ship eh? Just for the four of you?" The mayor asked, raising an eyebrow.

  
"No sir," Logan answered. "The rest of our friends will be here soon. An issue came up that they are attending to."

  
"Ah, understandable," the mayor said, nodding his head. "Oh yes - by the way, my name is Allister. None of that formal " _sir_ " nonsense is necessary with me and...is that them?" Allister pointed to the group that was headed up the path, most looking roughed up but no noticeable injuries.

  
"Guys, what happened?" Thomas called to the other group, the feeling of concern shared among the five of them.

  
"We sent them running like you ordered," Teal answered.

  
" _Unfortunately_ ," Aiden muttered, looking annoyed.

  
"...They were some of Striker's crew," Teal continued, "I recognized their " _leader_ " as someone from his ship."

  
" _What?_ " Mayor Allister looked between Teal and Thomas, confusion clear as day on his face. "That doesn't sound like the Striker I know _at all_."

  
"You mean he wouldn't ambush us?" Thomas asked, looking at the mayor.

  
Mayor Allister shook his head, "No, I mean if he _were_ behind it, he'd personally get involved."

  
"That's...not really reassuring," Andy muttered, shaking his head.

  
Thomas sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Did any of them happen to say _why_ they were us attacking in the first place?"

  
"They **_don't_** want the map," Mendax replied, a scowl on his face. "Somehow they found out about it."

  
Mayor Allister raised an eyebrow at that, "All this over a _map_?" When Thomas opened his mouth to explain, the mayor held a hand up to stop him. "No no, I _think_ I get it - buried treasure, rivalries, _that_ sort of thing. Come along then, follow me down to the private docks beyond here."

  
"Wait - you're just going to _give_ us a ship?" Thomas asked in disbelief.

  
"Of course, that's _why_ Striker pointed you here no doubt," the mayor said, waving his hand dismissively. "Besides, nothing personal but as the mayor of Sunrock my duty is to keep the townsfolk _safe_ and, well, I can't risk you staying here with those ruffians afoot."

* * *

  
" _Well?_ " Striker asked as Jess returned to the ship, taking note of the crew's injuries.

  
"The mission was a _failure_ , sir," Jess muttered angrily. As she attempted to walk by, Striker tapped her on the shoulder, getting her attention.

  
"What happened?" Striker asked, shooting her a concerned look.

  
"Those guys - they're _stronger_ and _smarter_ than they look," Jess replied, heading in the direction of the stairs. "I need sleep after that disappointing mission - you're gonna have to think of a _different_ _plan_ if you want that map bad enough."

  
Striker frowned, turning his attention from Jess to the mayor's house in the distance. "...Alright ye scallywags! Get this ship ready to set sail!"

  
"What about _the_ _map_ , sir?" One of his crew members asked, the rest rushing around the ship.

  
"I know the mayor well enough," Striker said, walking towards the ship's wheel. "No doubt he's giving them a ship as expected - we're going to _follow them_ ; if we can't get that map then we can at least track the ones who have it."

  
"We're all ready sir," another crew member called, saluting Striker.

  
Striker nodded his head, "Aye, good then. Weigh anchor!"

* * *

  
"Well then, this is as much as I can do to help you and your crew," Mayor Allister said, standing before the ship with Thomas. "I keep these ships well stocked so you should have plenty of supplies until you at least reach Pelican Harbor."

  
Thomas smiled and shook the mayor's hand, "Thank you _so much_ for your help, Allister. We'll take care of the ship for you."

  
"I don't doubt that, just _be careful_ out there - you may have lucked out last time but the open seas can be an unforgiving place," Allister answered firmly. "Now go on, I don't want to keep you waiting any longer."

  
Heading aboard the ship, Thomas took his place at the wheel. It was a strange feeling - actually being a pirate, let alone in command of an entire ship. "I'll get used to it," Thomas said to himself, shaking his head.

  
"Thomas!" Patton yelled excitedly, waving his hand to get the host's attention. "Logan said that we're all ready to set sail!"

  
"We are waiting on you to give the signal," Logan called out, walking up beside his excited boyfriend.

  
"Well then...weigh anchor!" Thomas yelled, a confident smile on his face. ' _I always wanted to say that._ ' Soon enough the ship had set sail, Sunrock slowly disappearing into the distance. Once Thomas was certain that it'd be steady sailing for a while, he let himself relax, stepping away from the wheel. All the while, a certain captain and his own crew were tracking them, following the path that they had set out on.


	7. Smooth-ish Sailing

Thomas sighed and looked around the Captain's Quaters, the ship having hit calm waters on the path to the next destination. Despite his efforts to relax, his thoughts kept drifting back to Sunrock. Assuming that Striker didn't know about the ambush, as per Allister's reasoning, he worried about the captain's safety.

  
"He's a captain for a _reason_ but he's still just _one_ guy. Whose to say that the rest of his crew isn't in on what happened? What if they mutiny against him?" Thomas wondered aloud to himself, starting to pace around the room.

  
"I can feel your worrying from the other end of the ship," a voice said. Looking up, Thomas saw Virgil standing by the door, an equally concerned look on his face.

  
"Ah geeze," Thomas muttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "sorry about that, Virge."

  
"Yeah well... _sit_ ," Virgil said with a sigh, pointing at the bed in the left corner of the room. "If I can't help Andy then I can at least help you."

  
"Huh? What's up with Andy?" Thomas asked, doing as Virgil said.

  
"Pryce got seasick and Andy dragged him below deck to lay down. ...Anyway, I was talking with Dax and we're pretty sure that we'll be running into Striker again," Virgil replied, crossing his arms.

  
Thomas nodded his head, "...I got the same feeling. I just hope it's _not_ because his crew turned against him or something."

  
"That guy towered over _everyone_ on the ship, seems kinda unlikely," Virgil pointed out. However, Thomas merely shook his head.

  
"Doesn't matter - it's still one guy against an entire crew armed with weapons," Thomas said, "even none of us could escape something like that alone."

* * *

  
" _Teal?_ "

  
Teal took a deep breath, focusing on the wind hitting his face, and opened his eyes to the view of endless water. Looking over his shoulder, he nodded his head in greeting. "Hey Andy. What's up?"

  
"Any sign of land yet?" Andy asked, moving to stand next to him by the wooden railings.

  
"None," Teal answered, shaking his head. "Why? Is Pryce still feeling seasick?"

  
"That's putting it lightly," Andy said with a frown. "Had to get Remy's help so he could get some sleep."

  
"He wasn't seasick on Striker's ship, was he?" Teal asked.

  
Andy shook his head, "No - I think it was the adrenaline from everything. Can't focus on something making you sick in that case."

  
"Makes sense," Teal replied, a contemplative, far-off look in his eyes.

  
"...I know _that_ look - something's on your mind," Andy pointed out.

  
Teal merely shrugged, "Same as everyone else I suppose. I want to go back home, to our own world."

  
"...When you're right, you're right," Andy sighed. "It was at least _okay_ with Dimension 3 and the Demon Realm; we _knew_ we had a way back home. _Here?_ We're not even sure if the map really will send us back."

  
_"Exactly_ ," Teal muttered, "I just hope this doesn't turn into a wild goose chase."

* * *

  
"... _Finally_ , he's asleep," Remy whispered, sneaking away from Pryce's bed to the one against the opposite wall.

  
"Don't bet on it," Pryce suddenly groaned, wrapping his arms around his stomach.

  
"Damn it!" Remy muttered, getting back up. "Usually the Sleep Sand works."

  
"No offense, Remy, but I think your sand is no match for the ocean," Pryce said, breaking into a coughing fit. As soon as the coughing turned to gagging, Remy quickly slid a bucket over to Pryce's bed and looked away.

  
"Clearly," Remy responded, grimacing as he tried to tune out the next few moments. Once Pryce finally sat back up, Remy removed his seemingly ever-present sunglasses to get a better look at the prince. "Sheesh, I know you're stubborn-"

  
" _Hey!_ " Pryce protested before breaking into another coughing fit.

  
"As I was saying, I know you're stubborn but _this_ is a new record," Remy continued.

  
"God damn it, Remy," Pryce muttered, looking rather miserable.

  
"Hey, that's Andy's line," Remy joked, trying to lighten the mood.

  
"Speaking of, can you bring him here please?" Pryce asked quietly.

  
"...Yeah, yeah sure," Remy said, putting his sunglasses back on and grabbing the bucket handle. "Get rid of this while I'm up there..." Heading above deck, Andy came down the stairs in his place after a few minutes.

  
"Pryce?" Andy called out, walking over to his bed.

  
"Move one of the beds against this one," Pryce said, gesturing around tiredly. Once Andy did so, the prince lied down and felt the other figment lay down next to him.

  
Wrapping his arms around Pryce's waist, Andy shot him a concerned look. "You alright?"

  
"I...I think so, _for now_ ," Pryce answered, turning to look at Andy. "Nothing personal against Remy but I think I have a better chance of falling asleep with _you_ here."

  
"Mr. Sandman's trick didn't work, I guess?" Andy asked, pulling his close.

  
"For about a minute it did," Pryce said, leaning his head against Andy's shoulder. "A coughing fit ruined it."

  
"Damn...well...like you said, _I'm here_ ," Andy muttered, rubbing a hand soothingly up and down Pryce's back. "We'll reach land again soon - I'm sure someone has medicine for this."

  
Pryce nodded his head tiredly, "Hopefully. I _really don't_ want to go through this _again_."

  
"I don't want you to either," Andy agreed, "just focus on sleeping. Close your eyes, I'm not going anywhere."

  
Pryce chuckled quietly at that, " _I'm_ supposed to be the knight in shining armor here, not you."

  
Andy merely shrugged and grinned at him, "Too bad, I'm better at your own job."

  
" _Ow_ , my pride," Pryce muttered jokingly, his eyes starting to close on their own. Snuggling close to Andy, Pryce wrapped his own arms around the other figment. Once Andy was certain that the prince was asleep, he allowed himself to doze off as well.


	8. An Encounter at Seastar

Aboard Striker's ship, said pirate was looking over a large map that covered one of the walls of the Captain's Quarters. Several black and red X's were marked on the map, denoting whether treasure was actually found in previous locations or not. While he was lost in thought, he didn't hear the door open or close, nor the sound of footsteps walking towards him.

  
"Striker?" Jess called out, putting her hands down on the desk in the middle of the room.

  
Striker blinked and turned around in confusion, "Jess?"

  
"We're almost at Seastar Port," Jess said, "it appears that our targets are planning on stopping there."

  
Striker tilted his head, arms crossed, "You sure? I thought for sure they would have just continued straight to Pelican Harbor."

  
"Perhaps they're aware of us following them," Jess suggested, walking around the desk towards him. "Or perhaps something came up and they need to dock for the time being."

  
"Hmm...either idea is just as likely..." Striker muttered, scratching his chin. "Alright, there's docks on both sides of Seastar - whatever direction they go in, we go the opposite. We don't need to alert them to our presence so soon."

  
"Are we actually going to leave the ship?" Jess asked.

  
"Not unless a reason to comes up," Striker answered, heading towards the door.

  
"Hmm...what if I have a reason? You know I need to pick up some supplies," Jess stated, following after him.

  
"Then I'm trusting you to _not_ cause any trouble," Striker said with a sigh, holding the door open for her.

  
"You have my word, Captain," Jess answered firmly.

* * *

  
"You sure you guys will be alright staying on the ship?" Thomas asked, looking at the rest of his family. Standing beside himself were Andy and Pryce, the latter looking better now that he was on dry land.

  
"We _**won't**_ be fine," Mendax assured him, "now go on and get that medicine."

  
"Mendax is right; the sooner we get a move on, the sooner we will reach our overall destination," Logan added, busy studying the map.

  
"Alright, we'll be back soon then," Thomas said, waving to them before heading down the road towards the rest of town.

  
"So what's the map say?" Mendax asked, looking over Logan's shoulder.

  
"After Pelican Harbor, our goal is to head north, ignoring the rest of the islands on here if possible. Eventually we should reach a place labeled...well, that is _not_ a good sign," Logan muttered, trailing off. Mendax then swiped the map from his hands and looked at it.

  
" _Dead Man's Island_ , huh? _**Great**_ ," Mendax said with a scowl before handing the paper back to Logan. "We'll just have to tread carefully then - that place is our ticket home."

  
"At least we all wish to believe that it is," Logan corrected, "we _do not_ know that for sure."

  
"Well I'm believing it right now, Lo," Mendax replied, stretching his arms above his head. "Come on, let's take a break and relax for a bit."

* * *

  
In town, Jess made her way to where a large fountain stood. Said fountain acted as the focal point; each direction led off into different districts. Heading east, she kept walking until she saw some familiar faces hanging around one of the shops. Ducking behind a closed building, she peeked around the corner and spied on them. ' _Well well, there's three other districts and they just had to choose this one? Sheesh._'

  
"You sure this will work?" Thomas asked, taking the bag of medicine from the shopkeeper.

  
"Absolutely," the shopkeeper said, taking a bag of coins from him in turn. "One pill every twelve hours as needed will help any bout of seasickness."

  
While Thomas was talking with the shopkeeper, Andy felt like someone else was watching them. Turning his head slightly, he caught a glimpse of someone who quickly disappeared behind one of the buildings. ' _That's not a good sign._' Gently, he nudged Pryce with his elbow, getting the prince's attention.

  
"Andy?" Pryce whispered, looking at him with confusion.

  
"Someone was just watching us," Andy muttered, reaching into his pants pocket for his switchblade. "How much you wanna bet it was one of Striker's crew?"

  
Quietly, Pryce put his hand on Andy's wrist, trying not to draw attention, "I think you might be just a bit on edge, my love."

  
"I _know_ what I saw," Andy protested, nodding his head in the direction of the building. "Whoever it was clearly didn't want to be spotted."

  
"Guys?" Thomas asked as he walked out of the shop, interrupting the two of them. "Is something wrong?"

  
"Andy thinks that he saw someone watching us," Pryce explained.

  
"I don't _think_ \- _I know_ ," Andy once more protested. "Someone was watching us and the minute I saw them, they ducked behind one of the buildings."

  
Thomas crossed his arms and stood there, contemplating the next course of action. ' _Well...we got what we came for so we could head back to the ship. ...But knowing Andy, he won't drop the issue for a while if we don't investigate..._' With a sigh, Thomas gripped the bag of medicine tightly, "Alright, alright, we'll go take a look real quick. Lead the way, Andy."

* * *

  
"They should be gone by now," Jess muttered to herself, pacing along the building's wall. "Time to get a move on then." However, as soon as she turned around, three figures rounded the corner, blocking her way.

  
"I knew it!" Andy yelled angrily, recognizing Jess from the ambush on Sunrock.

  
"Who-?" Thomas was cut off by Pryce.

  
"That was the leader of the those pirates at Sunrock," Pryce said, pulling out his sword.

  
" _Woah_ \- woah there tough guys," Jess said, putting her hands up. "I ain't here to cause trouble."

  
"Somehow I doubt that," Andy snarked, pulling out his switchblade.

  
" _Honest_ ," Jess argued, looking annoyed, "I'm just here to pick up some personal supplies."

  
Stepping forward, Thomas put his hands behind himself, signaling Andy and Pryce to lower their weapons. "Where's Captain Striker?" Thomas demanded, taking on a stern look.

  
"On his ship, where else?" Jess answered, "Make this easier on yourselves and just go on back to your friends."

  
"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

  
"Striker ordered me not to _cause_ any trouble - he didn't say anything about _stopping it_ ," Jess remarked, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "The choice is yours right now."

  
"Does he know what you did on Sunrock?" Pryce spoke up, a scowl on his face.

  
"Unfortunately," Jess said, lying easily, "first thing he did was throw the others into the brig."

  
"So why aren't _you_ there with them?" Andy snapped, body tense as he glared at her.

  
"Part of a deal with him - I cause _any_ trouble at one of our stops, he leaves me behind to deal with the local authorities," Jess once more lied. " _Can I go now?_ "

  
Staring at her uncertainly, Thomas put his hands down and turned around. "Guys, lets get going."

  
"You _can't_ be serious," Andy protested, looking at him in disbelief.

  
"Are you _sure_ about this?" Pryce asked, a similar look on his own face.

  
"... _Yeah_ , come on guys," Thomas finally said, walking away from the area. "We _need_ to get back to the ship and get a move on."

  
Shooting Jess one last look of suspicion, the two figments reluctantly put away their weapons and followed Thomas. Once they were out of sight, Jess let out a sigh before smirking. "They fell for it...time to get my things and rush back to Striker's ship."

  
' _We don't need to alert them to our presence so soon._ ' Striker's words rang throughout her head.

  
"...Well, to be fair, they still _don't_ _know_ that we're following them," she reasoned to herself. "Might keep quiet about this until Striker is half-asleep or something though."


	9. Bad Dreams

Below deck Patton was tossing and turning in his sleep. He'd excused himself earlier, saying that he was tired and needed a small nap. However, his dreams clearly had a different idea at the moment.

* * *

  
_Patton looked around desperately, trying to find anyone at this point. Endless trees and assorted tropical plants were all that surrounded him at the moment. "Logan? Thomas?" He called out, only to be met with silence. Swallowing his nerves, he pushed onward through the plant life, once more calling out for any of his family. "Dax? Roman? Virgil?"_

  
_"You're not gonna find 'em here," a gruff voice called out. With a startled gasp, Patton turned around and came face to face with-_

  
_"Captain Striker?" Patton asked, taking a few steps back from the pirate. "What...what do you mean? Where's my family?"_

  
_In an instant, night fell over the area, covering them both in shadows. "They're on me ship - another spot of bad luck it seems," Striker said, taking a step toward Patton, reaching to grab his wrist, "Come on, they're waitin' for ya..."_

  
_Patton, however, wasn't too keen on believing him and instead darted diagonally, running past the pirate. "Hey!" Captain Striker shouted, turning around after him._

  
_"Hay is for horses!" Patton shouted back nervously, hoping a bit of humor would make things seem less daunting to himself. "Come on, you're Happy Pappy Patton! Don't get overwhelmed now! " Patton muttered under his breath as he kept running for what seemed like forever until he came to a clearing._

  
_As soon as he stepped foot on the sandy shore, a crack of lightning pierced the sky, followed by the roar of thunder. Striker's ship could be seen out on the water, lights barely illuminating the vessel as his crew scurried about. "Found ya!" A voice yelled as a hand shot out, gripping Patton by the back of his shirt, causing him to yelp in surprise._

  
_"Striker!" Patton yelled, eyes wide as he looked back at the pirate._

  
_"You trying to get lost or somethin'?" Striker demanded to know, another lightning strike flashing through the sky, twisting his expression into an eerie visage._

  
_"Let go!" Patton protested, trying in vain to escape Striker's grip. As he twisted and turned desperately, something shot out of the water into the sky, gaining the attention of both. "What is that?!"_

  
_Striker narrowed his eyes as he stared hard at the sight before him. When several more things shot into the air, it clicked in his head. " The Kraken."_

  
_"K-Kraken?!" Patton yelled in shock, renewing his struggling tenfold. " Let go! We need to save the others!"_

  
_"...Ain't no saving them now..." Striker muttered, tightening his grip on Patton's shirt. In an instant the Kraken's tentacles slammed down on the ship, one after another, as Patton watched in horror._

  
_"No!" Patton yelled as loud as he could. Just as quickly as the tentacles appeared, they retreated under the water, dragged the wreckage of the ship with it._

  
_" No!"_

* * *

  
"Did everything go okay?" Virgil asked as soon as Thomas, Andy, and Pryce stepped back on the ship.

  
Thomas nodded his head, "Yeah, mostly -"

  
" _No!_ "

  
At that shout, Virgil snapped his head towards the direction it came from and took off without a second thought. Looking back at the two figments, Thomas ran after Virgil the minute they pushed him to, their own confusion clear as day.

  
" _Patton?!_ " Virgil yelled as he darted down the stairs, rushing over to the other's bed. Once he was close enough, he reached out and gently put his hand on Patton's shoulder, shaking him carefully. "...Patton?"

  
Patton let out a gasp as his eyes snapped open and scrambled to sit up. "I-? What-? _Virgil_?" He asked upon realizing that he was no longer asleep.

  
"Pat, are you alright?" Virgil asked worriedly, "I heard you scream."

  
"I think we all did," Thomas added quietly, appearing at the bottom of the stairs. "What happened, Patton?"

  
"It..." Patton shook his head, "it's _nothing_ , you two. You don't need to worry."

  
Both Thomas and Virgil shared a knowing look before the emo shook his head. "We all know that wasn't " _nothing_ ", Patton."

  
Patton sighed and glanced up to see both of them staring at him with concern. "It was _just_ a bad dream - I don't want to cause any of you to worry."

  
"We're stuck in some pirate world right now," Thomas replied, "so that's beaten you to it..."

  
"Either way _I'm_ gonna worry," Virgil said, opening his arms to offer a hug, "it's kind of how I am, you _know_ that. So what happened in this dream of yours?"

  
Patton took him up on the offer and moved so he was hugging the emo, wrapping his arms around Virgil's shoulders. "Well...I just kind of... _appeared_ on an island, surrounded by all these trees and plants. It was thick enough that the sun didn't help much and I didn't know where any of you were."

  
Thomas walked over, sitting on the bed across from the two, "Hmm...what happened next?"

  
"I kept searching and calling out your names," Patton explained, pulling back from the hug to look at Thomas. "Then I heard _Striker's_ voice - he was right behind me somehow. When I looked at him, it became night time instantly and it all startled me."

  
"Did he do anything?" Virgil asked, rubbing Patton's back in what he hoped was a soothing manner.

  
Patton nodded his head and leaned back towards Virgil, "He tried to grab me...claimed that all of you were on his ship again; I ran before he could reach me and when I got to the shore, his ship was waiting in the water. ...That's when things got _worse_ \- there was lightning and he grabbed me that second time; then these giant...tentacles came out of the water."

  
"Giant tentacles?" Thomas asked, "you mean like the Kraken?"

  
Patton took a deep breath before continuing, "That's what Striker said it was. That creature...it destroyed the ship and dragged everyone on board down with it..."

  
"Including _us_ ," Thomas reluctantly finished, "assuming...eh " _dream Striker_ " was telling the truth."

  
"And _that's_ _why_ you were yelling," Virgil added, a frown on his face, watching as Patton confirmed it. Wrapping his arms around the other side, Virgil let Patton cling to him for as long as he wanted. "It was just a nightmare, Pat. We're all _here_ , we're all _safe_."

  
"I know," Patton whispered, "I just..."

  
"...You wanna go above deck to see the others?" Thomas offered, "the fresh air will also probably help."

  
"Thomas is right," Virgil agreed, helping Patton stand up from the bed. "Let's go let the others know everything is alright."

  
Patton nodded once more, holding Virgil's hand in his own. "Yeah, yeah okay, that sounds like a good idea."

  
While the two made their way up the stairs, Thomas slowly followed them, his own thoughts badgering him. _'That creature is the last thing we ever need to run into; Striker's crew starting to feel like a close second.'_ Shaking his head, he let the feeling of the sun and wind wash over him. ' _Almost ready to set sail again... I just hope Patton doesn't have any more nightmares, especially not ones involving that Kraken._ '


	10. A Guest on Striker's Ship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A third party appears and things are not as they first seem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't read this chapter until after you've watched the Intrusive Thoughts episode.

"All aboard!" Captain Striker yelled, making sure his crew was all accounted for. Noticing Jess's absence, Striker sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Where is she?"

  
"All right green guy! Striker is in charge here, _got it_?!"

  
Striker blinked as his first mate's voice cut through the air. Looking down from the ship, he saw Jess and some " _green guy_ " as she put it. "Jess? What's going on?"

  
Jess rolled her eyes and let out a huff, gesturing towards the newcomer. "I found this guy while leaving town, says he's looking for Captain Thomas."

  
"I have a _name_!" The green one protested, looking indignant.

  
"Well what is it then? We don't got all day!" Jess snapped.

  
" _Remus_ , at your service. You all, however, may call me " _The Duke_ "," he said, mock bowing before her.

  
"Or I can call you " _The Dumbass_ " instead," Jess deadpanned, ignoring Remus's glare.

  
"Yeah," Striker agreed, "now tell me something before I let ye on my ship. _Why_ are you lookin' for Captain Thomas?"

  
"Why, to be reunited with him, of course! I've been searching for him _for ages_!" Remus exclaimed dramatically.

  
At that Striker and Jess shared a look. "Are you _really_ going to let him on the ship?" Jess asked, crossing her arms.

  
"Hmm... _Aye_ ," Striker said, staring at Remus with a hard look. "We'll be keeping an eye on you though."

  
"But of course," Remus said with a smirk, "I would expect _nothing less_ considering the unusual circumstances."

* * *

  
Several hours later, Thomas and his family were once more sailing leisurely through the open water. However, something kept nagging at Thomas's mind and was making it hard for him to concentrate. Sighing, he left the wheel of the ship and called over Aiden, holding the door to the Captain's Quarters open.

  
"Something's bugging you, Tom," Aiden stated, sitting down against one of the walls.

  
"That obvious, huh?" Thomas asked, sitting across from him.

  
"Clearly. What's bothering you?" Aiden asked, his attention focused on Thomas.

  
"I just...got this thought out of nowhere that got me thinking," Thomas explained, "are there _other sides_ I still _don't know_ about? After all, I had no clue you _or_ Arlo were around until the whole thing with Gunther started. Then there's my D2 counterpart who has Brant, Adam, and Gifre as sides."

  
Aiden blinked, not expecting the question. Leaning back, he sat deep in thought, "Hm, not that I'm aware of, but..."

  
"But what?" Thomas pressed, urging him to continue.

  
"...After Arlo and Virgil " _disappeared_ ", I focused all my attention on keeping things up and running in our old home as an attempt to keep myself distracted. For all I know, there could be other sides that " _slipped under the radar_ " so to speak."

  
"I see..." Thomas trailed off, a new thought coming to mind, "you think Mendax might know anything?"

  
"I suppose it's possible," Aiden answered, getting to his feet. "I'll go get him." After a few minutes, Aiden returned with Mendax in tow.

  
"What's going on?" Mendax asked, looking between the two, concerned.

  
"Tom brought up something that's bugging him," Aiden explained, putting a hand on Mendax's shoulder. "He wants to know if there are any other sides that he doesn't know about."

  
"Yeah, Aiden brought up a good point that there could be some that he didn't know about because of the whole... _thing_ with Arlo and Virgil..." Thomas trailed off, noticing the wince that came from Mendax upon dredging that up. "Sorry."

  
Mendax merely shook his head, "It's fine, that's in the past _where it belongs_." Sitting down, Mendax took a deep breath before speaking, "While Pops here was...dealing with things in his own way at the time, I **_didn't_** notice something wandering about the dark side of the mindscape - _once_ and then _never_ again. At the time I thought I was just seeing things; the place has a tendency to do that if you wander around too long. Now that you brought this thought of yours up though...I can't help but second guess myself."

  
"Sorry we can't be of much help with this, Tom," Aiden said, squeezing Mendax's shoulder slightly to keep him grounded.

  
"No, no, _it's alright_ ," Thomas said, shaking his head. "Asking about it is better than leaving it to linger in my head. Thanks you guys."

* * *

  
On Striker's ship, Remus was strolling around, all too aware that Jess was keeping an eye on him, just as she and Striker had warned. "You know, it'd be a shame if you set the ship on fire," Remus said casually.

  
" _What_ did you just say?!" Jess yelled, pulling a dagger out of her pants pocket.

  
"What? I'm _just saying_ that it'd be a shame if you did that," Remus said, feigning innocence.

  
"Here's a concept for ya - _think_ before ya _speak_ ," Jess growled out, glaring at Remus. "Unless you want to get stabbed. Is _that_ what you want?"

  
"Huh, interesting question, but _no_. Better one - have you ever wondered how it must _feel_ to get stabbed?" Remus asked, his mouth forming into a shit-eating grin.

  
"I already _know_ ," Jess snapped, "you don't get to be a pirate without getting scars along the way!"

  
"Oh my, temper temper!" Remus said, suppressing a small laugh. "This is gonna be a fun trip, if I do say so myself!"

  
"Fun ain't the word, ya bastard," Jess muttered. Before she could do anything else, Striker appeared and looked between both of them.

  
"Jess, you may leave now," he said calmly. "I'll handle _this_."

  
"Good luck with that," Jess muttered, storming off. Once she was gone, Striker turned and glared at Remus.

  
"Duke-"

  
" _THE_ Duke," he interrupted, crossing his arms.

  
" _Remus_!" Striker shouted before regaining his composure. "You're on _my_ ship and you're _already_ on some damn _thin ice_. Do _not_ make me regret bringing you aboard," Striker said, voice low as he pointed his sword at Remus's throat. " _Do I make myself clear?_ "

  
" _Crystal_ ," Remus replied, glancing down at the blade before back up at Striker.

  
" _Good_. Now get below deck; tell the crew down there I'm putting you to work," Striker demanded, pointing towards the stairs leading down into the ship itself. "And _don't_ even _think_ of trying anything."

  
"Of course, _Captain_ ," Remus muttered begrudgingly, stomping over to the stairs, a deep scowl on his face. ' _Hmph. He has another thing coming if he thinks he can boss me, the wonderful Remus, around for long! Not even Deceit has gotten away with that forever!_'

  
' _...I need a snack. Where's some deoderant when I need it?_ '


	11. Their Problem Now

"Hey Logan, what's the supply status?" Thomas asked, feeling somewhat better after his talk with Aiden and Mendax.

  
"We should have enough supplies until we reach Pelican Harbor," Logan answered. "However, there is something more important that you need to know of."

  
Thomas tilted his head as the map was handed to him, "What's up?"

  
"After Pelican Harbor, we need to head north," Logan explained, pointing at the areas on the map. "However, it appears that the map is leading us to-"

  
" _Dead Man's Island_ ," Thomas finished, body tensing as he read the name aloud. "That's...not good. Do the others know?"

  
"Only Mendax," Logan replied, taking the map as it was handed back to him. "We both agreed that it would be best to tell you first. From there, a decision needs to be made about what we should tell the others."

  
Thomas sighed, leaning against one of the masts as he took a moment to answer. "...We tell them the truth. We've been up against _demons_ and now _pirates_ ; an island being named what it is - it's still nothing worse than _anything else_ we've dealt with in our lives."

  
Logan nodded, "Shall I go round the others up for a meeting then?"

  
"I'll help you with that," Thomas said, "we'll have the meeting while the ship stays its course. Shouldn't take long to get there."

* * *

  
" _All ashore that's going ashore!_ "

  
The yell was loud enough that it could be heard well below deck, causing the crew to look up. Some of them continued working while others took it as break time. "Sheesh, that guy is loud," Remus remarked, leaning against one of the ship's cannons.

  
"He has to be, he's the captain after all," one of the crew members muttered, nudging Remus out of the way with his elbow. "Move. Gotta keep these things clean. Need them to work properly when the time comes."

  
Remus looked indignant but moved regardless, staring at the scruffy old man. "When the time comes? Are you going to blow up another ship?"

  
" _Maybe_ ," the crew member muttered. "Was talkin' 'bout the _Kraken_ though."

  
At that Remus's eyes lit up, "The Kraken?! You're after the legendary beast of the ocean?!"

  
The crew member paused in his cleaning, giving Remus a hard look. "Captain Striker is; personal vendetta. Most of the others here just want to see if it really exists." Before any more could be said, footsteps were heard.

  
"Remus! Over here. Now," Striker demanded, sword pointed at the ground.

  
"I heard you're after the Kraken!" Remus said excitedly as he walked over. "It'd be a shame if-!"

  
" _Don't_ _even_ _think_ of finishing whatever you're about to say. As for you Milton - go take a break," Striker ordered, nodding at the crew member before turning his attention back to Remus.  "We're at Pelican Harbor - so is Captain Thomas. Once you step off the ship, you're _his_ problem."

  
"Oh _finally_! It feels like I've been searching for him for ages!" Remus exclaimed.

  
Striker merely rolled his eyes and grabbed Remus by the arm, "Come on riff raff."

  
The minute Remus stepped onto dry land, he dashed off into the rest of the harbor, leaving Striker behind. "Is it such a good idea to let him go by himself?" Jess asked, a bored look on her face.

  
"As long as he's out of our hair? Yeah," Striker muttered. "Hasn't even been a full day and I'm ready to shank someone."

  
"...I hope he drives them up the wall," Jess said in a deadpan voice after several minutes.

  
"I just hope they don't let him anywhere near the map," Striker added.

* * *

  
Searching high and low, Remus was zipping around like a hyperactive cat would in the middle of the night. "Hmm...ya know, Striker probably just said that Thomas was here to get me off his ship," Remus spoke aloud to himself. "I should go back over there and... huh?" Remus stopped and hid behind the nearest tree, hearing what sounded like Thomas's voice. Peering around carefully, his expression lit up upon seeing not only Thomas, but Roman and Deceit as well. ' _This is my lucky day!_ '

  
"Are you sure you're alright with going there, Thomas?" Roman asked, helping Mendax lift a crate of food onto the ship.

  
"Even if I'm not, we don't have a choice," Thomas answered. "We-"

  
" _THOMAS!_ " Remus yelled, a manic grin on his face as he appeared right in front of him. "The pirate look is different!"

  
" _Aaah!_ " Thomas screamed, jumping back from being startled. Immediately, Roman was on the offensive, sword drawn and pointed at Remus while Mendax helped Thomas calm down.

  
" _Who are you?!_ " Roman shouted angrily, glaring at the newcomer. Said person blinked and tilted his head, crossing his arms.

  
"What the hell are you talking about Roman? You've known me for _years_ ," Remus said, raising an eyebrow. "Huh. Maybe hitting you with the Morningstar did more damage than I thought..."

  
" _What?!_ "

  
Remus then nodded towards Mendax, "Deceit."

  
"You guys... _know him_?" Thomas asked warily, all too aware of Remus's attention now on him.

  
"Aw come on Thomas, I know I only just showed up recently but I'd think you'd remember," Remus remarked.

  
Both Mendax and Roman looked at each other in worried confusion before looking at Thomas. "Thomas, I _swear on my sword_ that I've never seen this guy before in my life," Roman stated firmly, hand gripping said weapon tight.

  
"Neither have I," Mendax said, shaking his head as he took a step forward to stand beside Roman. "Now answer Roman's question. _Who are you_?"

  
Sighing dramatically, Remus rolled his eyes, "Alright, I'll play along with your silly game for now, Deceit. I'm Remus, _Roman's brother_."

  
" _Liar!_ " Roman yelled, about to swing his sword at Remus. Mendax was quicker, however, and held him back. " _Dax?!_ What are-?!"

  
" _Calm down_ ," Mendax demanded. "I don't like this situation either but as Logan would point out, we need _all of the facts_."

  
"Woah, woah," Remus said, putting his hands up. "What did you just...? " _Dax_ "? And since when are you buddy-buddies with _any_ of these guys?"

  
Mendax turned his head and stared right at Remus, "Look...Remus, right? I can tell you're not lying but neither am I when I say that none of us have ever met you before in our lives... ... _That's it_!" Mendax yelled as realization dawned on his face. "He's from a _different dimension_!"

  
"Uh... _what_?" Remus asked dumbfounded, both by what " _Dax_ " said and how he was acting.

  
"So...is he from _here_ then?" Thomas asked, the same look of realization on his own face.

  
"Hold the phone! I don't know _what_ gibberish you're spouting but I am _not_ from some Peter Pan pirate land!" Remus protested, looking annoyed.

  
"Alright, look!" Roman snapped, "Simple question, simple answer. How did you get here?"

  
Remus merely shrugged, " _I don't know_. One minute I'm busy doing my own thing and the next I'm here in this weird place, face to face with some pirates."

  
"Is there _anything else_ you can tell us? Like a name of one of the pirates or something?" Thomas pushed, hoping for some kind of clue.

  
"...Oh yeah, _that_. Big guy, name is _Striker_? Real temper on him," Remus said. "His crew isn't much fun either; one of them got pissy because I mentioned it'd be a shame if they set the ship on fire."

  
"Wait a minute. _Striker_? ...Striker was at Seastar Port, not this place..." Thomas trailed off as a thought hit him.

  
"Thomas?" Roman asked, glancing at him.

  
"The ambush, running into his first mate over on Seastar, now this? ... _He's following us_ ," Thomas reasoned. "His crew was after the map and they failed...so he's been tailing us instead."

  
"Just what we _don't_ need," Mendax muttered, shaking his head. He then nodded over towards Remus, "So what do we do about _him_?"

  
Thomas looked over at Remus before glancing towards Mendax, "...We take him with us _for now_."

  
"Alright, now we're talkin'," Remus said with a sly grin.

  
"Thomas, are you absolutely _sure_ about that?" Roman pressed, side-eyeing the newcomer warily.

  
"You know what? Yeah, yeah I'm _sure_. We've fought against a literal _empire of demons_ within the last month, we can handle _him_ ," Thomas reasoned.

  
"Talk about keeping busy," Remus muttered.

  
"... _Fine_ ," Roman relented, ignoring the newcomer's muttering, "as long as one of us is keeping an eye on him _at all times_."

  
"That's the plan," Thomas answered, looking out towards the rest of the harbor. "Now calm down. The others should be back with the rest of the supplies soon."


	12. Headed to the Island

"Who the hell-?" Aiden was cut off by Thomas, the latter grabbing one of the smaller supply crates from him.

  
"That guy's name is Remus. He's...odd, to put it lightly," Thomas answered in a whisper. "Ended up here from another dimension and ran into Striker."

  
Aiden's eyes narrowed at the mention of the pirate's name, "Striker? He was over at Seastar..."

  
"I know," Thomas said, "we need to have another _quick_ meeting as soon as the supplies is stashed below deck. The faster we do, the faster we can get a move on. "

  
Aiden glanced warily over at Remus, who was currently badgering Mendax, before nodding. "Got it. I'll be right back."

  
"Please don't throw him overboard," Thomas said, watching as Aiden walked over to the other two.

  
"Sooooo, " _Dax_ ", are you actually friends with your dimension's Thomas or what?" Remus asked, poking Mendax in the arm repeatedly, a grin on his face.

  
"Of course I am! And that's _Mendax_ to _you_ ," Mendax snapped, swiping at Remus's hand. "...I'll give you this - you're smarter than you look, having caught on to the other dimensions existing so quickly."

  
"And you're a lot more blunt than the snakey snake I know," Remus said, about to poke him again when someone interrupted them.

  
"Dax? Is everything alright?" Aiden asked, his shadow looming over Remus, causing the newcomer to look up.

  
"Who're you?" Remus simply asked, not at all phased.

  
"Aiden," he answered just as simply, his arms crossed.

  
"Yeah, everything is fine Pops," Mendax answered, visibly relaxing now. "Are the others back yet?"

  
" _Pops?_ " Remus muttered, brow raised as he watched them.

  
"Give 'em maybe five more minutes," Aiden replied. "Thomas wants to hold another meeting about Striker. What happened?"

  
"...Thanks to Mr. Eccentric here, we've come to the realization that Striker has been following us this whole time," Mendax muttered, a frown crossing his face as he thought of the pirate.

  
"Just our luck," Aiden muttered, clasping a hand on Mendax's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry too much though. Just another hurdle to deal with until we find our way home."

* * *

  
"Alright, so who is that guy?" Arlo asked, gesturing towards Remus, who was sitting in the corner of the Captain's Quaters, messing with some of the trinkets laying around.

  
"He said his name is Remus," Thomas answered, "and because of him, we figured out something important - Striker's been following us this whole time."

  
"You're welcome," Remus's voice was heard in the background.

  
"You're sure?" Virgil asked, looking concerned.

  
"The ambush, running into one of his crew at Seastar, now _this_?" Thomas asked, gesturing in Remus's direction. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

  
"So what is our next course of action?" Logan asked, resting a hand on Virgil's shoulder.

  
"...We keep going towards the island. Once we're there, we're staging our own ambush," Thomas said determinedly.

  
"Damn, that's more proactive than anything the Thomas I know would go with," Remus piped up, his attention caught. "Can I help?"

  
"Do you know how to fight?" Arlo asked.

  
"'Course I do! Just give me a weapon; my precious Morningstar didn't make the trip here unfortunately," Remus said.

* * *

  
"Captain," Jess said, entering the Captain's Quaters.

  
"Jess," Striker said, a bottle in hand.

  
"You calm now that you've had a drink?" Jess asked, eyeing the half-empty bottle.

  
"Aye," Striker agreed. "It won't be long now. Once we get our hands on that map-"

  
"That's exactly why I wanted to talk to you," Jess interrupted. "What does that map even lead to that's got you so bent on getting it?"

  
"...Treasure," Striker said, slumping down in his chair. "A fabled trident on Dead Man's Island - said to _control the seas_ themselves."

  
" _Impossible_ ," Jess scoffed, shaking her head. "Treasure? Yeah. Something powerful like _that_? I ain't buying it."

  
"Don't be so quick to disregard it," Striker muttered. Jess, however, continued on with her questions.

  
"Even if it is real, what are you going to do with it? Try to summon the _Kraken_?" She asked, looking over at him. As soon as she said that, a smirk crossed Striker's face. "You _can't_ be serious."

  
"Oh, but I am," Striker said, sitting up properly. "I'm going to summon that foul beast and _finally_ settle things!"

  
"You're drunk," Jess said firmly, crossing her arms.

  
"I've only had half a bottle of rum! I'm nowhere near drunk!" Striker snapped, hand gripping the neck of the bottle tightly. "Just-! Make sure we're following Thomas and his crew! That's an order!"

  
"Fine," Jess stated, "but only if you get some sleep."

  
" _Fine!_ " Striker snapped once more, getting up and walking towards the door. Opening it, he gestured for Jess to leave. "Do _not_ tell the rest of the crew of our discussion."

  
"Of course," Jess muttered, marching past him. "The last thing we need is a damn mutiny in the middle of the nowhere."

* * *

  
" _What?_ " Gunther growled out, his ears twitching as Remus poked at them.

  
"One of your ears is torn and the other's scarred," Remus said while shrugging. "What happened?"

  
Gunther bat his hand away in annoyance, "The past happened; I had an upstart student once, he caused the injuries in his youth."

  
"Oooh, sounds like a nasty punk," Remus said, clearly intrigued, "did you kick his ass?"

  
"...Not at the time," Gunther answered, "eventually though, yes."

  
"Should've done it the first time 'round," Remus said, "I probably would've."

  
"Good for you," Gunther muttered, "hindsight is a bitch though."

  
"Ain't that the truth," Remus agreed. "In hindsight, I shouldn't have sneaked up on my brother and hit him over the head with my Morningstar."

  
"You _what_?" Gunther asked, blinking as his mind processed what he just heard.

  
"I _should_ have attacked him head on so we could have had a proper battle," Remus added, looking thoughtful.

  
"That's _not_ what I was getting at," Gunther replied.

  
"No but it's what _I_ was getting at," Remus said with a grin.

  
"...Whatever, just use that attitude to fight Striker's crew when the time comes," Gunther said, beginning to walk away. "I'm headed below deck if anyone asks."


	13. Attack

" _Land ho!_ " Milton called down from the Crow's Nest of Striker's ship. Down below, the rest of the crew scurried around as they prepared to arrive at the shores of Dead Man's Island. Among them was Jess, quickly making her way to the Captain's Quarters to awaken Striker from his rum-induced slumber.

  
"Captain!" She called out, standing in the doorway. Jolting up, Striker got to his feet and hastily unruffled his clothes.

  
"Aye, what is it?" Striker asked, sounding much more like his usual self after his impromptu nap.

  
"The island is upon us; we're ready for the last leg of this game of " _Follow the Leade_ _r_ "," Jess snarked, her arms crossed.

  
"Good! That treasure is as good as mine!" Striker proclaimed, marching towards the doorway. Jess quickly stepped aside, rolling her eyes as Striker started barking orders.

* * *

  
"Alright, we're almost there!" Thomas called out to the others. "Remember the plan - you guys hide while I lure Striker onto the ship. The minute he steps foot on here, we spring the ambush. Got it?"

  
"Just be careful when you do," Andy said, "we don't want him getting suspicious and turning the tables on you before you get back."

  
"Yeah seriously," Virgil muttered in agreement, "that's one of the worst things that could happen."

  
"I'll be fine, I promise," Thomas replied reassuringly. "Everything will turn out okay and then we can get back on track."

  
"Hey, if for some reason he refuses to come over here, _I_ can always lure him over!" Remus offered, a grin on his face. "I'm pretty sure he wanted to stab me by the time he basically booted me off his ship!"

  
"...Why are you so cheerful about that?!" Roman yelled in an exasperated voice after a moment of silence.

  
"Because if I focus on that then it'll keep me from focusing on the fact that I have no idea how I got here or even if I'll ever find my own way home again," Remus said rather quickly, his grin disappearing for only the briefest of seconds.

  
"Are...are you _okay_?" Roman asked quietly, glancing over at Remus.

  
"Never better!" Remus said cheerfully, ignoring the looks of concern from the others, "Just let me at those pirates! I'm itching for a fight!"

* * *

  
"Captain Striker!" Thomas called out, walking towards the ship the minute the anchor was thrown into the water. "It's been a while!"

  
"What is he...?" Jess asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

  
Striker merely put his hand up to silence her, "Quiet for a moment." Looking over the side of the ship, Striker cast a fake smile at Thomas, "Well, this is certainly a surprise. Not many people sail towards these parts, ya know."

  
"Kind of figured by the name alone," Thomas remarked, crossing his arms. "Speaking of, I was wondering if I could speak with you? There's something my crew discovered that I think would interest you."

  
"It's a _trap_ ," Jess hissed quietly, reaching for her sword.

  
" _Stop_ ," Striker ordered, grabbing her upper arm. He then turned back to Thomas, "...Excuse us for a moment, matey. Some of my crew is restless from the trip here." Moving away, he guided Jess with him, "Now, we both know that it's probably a trap. But this could also be the easiest shot we have at getting the map."

  
"What about ambushing them?" Jess demanded to know.

  
"As of right now, that's Plan B," Striker muttered, absentmindedly patting his coat pockets. " _Trust me_ on this - one way or another, we _will_ get that map by nightfall and by daybreak tomorrow, that trident is as good as _mine_."

  
Jess let out a sigh as she shook her head, "Alright, alright, go on then if you're _that_ confident. The crew will be waiting here for your call."

  
Striker patted Jess on the back, "Good on ya, ya understand. I'll be back soon enough then."

  
"I think it's time for a plan for handle Striker," Milton muttered, walking over as soon as the captain was off the ship. "At this rate, he's going to doom us all otherwise."

  
"Are you suggesting _mutiny_?" Jess asked, looking at him curiously.

  
"Aye, for the _safety_ of the crew," Milton said, nodding his head. "We'd just have to capture him and keep him in the brig until we get back to Seastar. Dump him in the jail there."

  
"...That's better than letting him run around as he is now, especially _if_ that trident is real," Jess replied, deep in thought. "...Still, he'll be expecting us to come help him against Captain Thomas soon..."

  
"We don't need to enact it right now," Milton pointed out, "we can do so after we have him back on the ship and those ruffians are taken care of."

  
"...Right, go round up the crew for an emergency meeting then," Jess answered, "we need everyone on the same page."

* * *

  
Once Striker stepped foot on the other ship, he found himself surrounded in the blink of an eye. Crossing his arms he looked around bored, only stopping for a brief moment to glare at Remus once he caught sight of him, the chaotic newcomer merely grinning back at him. "You've been following us," Thomas said firmly, stepping onto the ship after Striker.

  
"You have something _I need_ ," Striker replied, turning to face him. " _The map_."

  
" _We_ need that map to get home," Thomas stated.

  
"That map isn't gonna get you anywhere," Striker said lowly, acutely aware of the sounds of weapons being aimed at him. "What it _is_ going to do is get me the treasure I've spent years looking for - and you're _not_ going to get in my way."

  
Thomas merely kept his composure, refusing to bend to the glare that Striker was now giving him. "Bold of you to be making threats in this situation."

  
"Bold of you to assume that you have the upper hand," Striker said, reaching for his left coat pocket. In an instant, he pulled out a dagger, slashing at Thomas. "Give me the map!" With a yell of surprise Thomas jumped back, stumbling and falling back down the ship's ramp towards the shore. Immediately the others split up, some of them focused on Striker while the others dodged past the ensuing fight and ran down the ramp to check on Thomas.

  
To his credit, Striker was holding his own in the fight, ducking and dodging while slowly making his way towards the front of the ship. ' _Let's see if they're stupid enough to jump into from the ship after me_ ,' he thought to himself, getting in close enough at the moment to sucker punch Remus. "You had the comin' ya know," he muttered, jumping back as Roman slashed at him with his sword.

  
"And you've had this coming," Roman growled out, his sword making contact with Striker's left arm. Biting back a hiss of pain, Striker gripped his dagger tightly before stabbing at Roman, hitting the prince in the right shoulder.

  
"Payback's a bitch," Striker muttered as Roman let out a yell. While he was distracted, the captain aimed a swift kick to his legs and made a dash for his destination.

  
" _Roman!_ " Virgil and Mendax yelled, running over to the injured prince.

  
"Hey! Only _I'm_ allowed to do that!" Remus yelled, rushing past the trio, an old-fashioned cutlass in hand. Following him were Aiden and Arlo while Gunther stayed back to check on Roman's injury.

  
"Oh _boo hoo_ ," Striker said mockingly, climbing over the ship's wooden railings. Jumping down, he landed with a grunt and a thud before getting to his feet. Rushing to the halfway point between that ship and his own, he heard another thud followed by the sound of Remus yelling at him angrily. "Come here and fight me you cowards!" Striker called out, a confident look in his eyes.

  
"Oh I plan to do more than just that!" Remus shouted, rushing towards him. Following him were Thomas and the figments while Patton and Logan trailed behind, waiting as the others got off the ship to join them. Their attention was immediately drawn to Roman who was insisting to Virgil and Mendax that he could still fight. Although Virgil in particular was reluctant to agree out of concern, past experiences proved Roman to be right and that couldn't be denied.

  
" _Jess!_ " Striker shouted, standing tall as he watched his opponents, " _Plan B!_ "

  
"Aye aye, Captain!" Jess called out, looking over one of the railings. Turning to the crew, she nodded her head, "You heard him! _Let's go!_ " With several shouts Striker's crew scrambled off the ship to stand behind their captain, facing down Thomas and his friends. "Your cutlass, sir," Jess said, handing the weapon to Striker. ' _Have fun with it; tonight is gonna be the last that you use it for a long time._ '

  
"Thank you, Jess," Striker said, a smirk crossing his face. Without so much as a glance he held the cutlass out, a loud clang filling the air as it made contact with Remus's weapon, the newcomer looking more than a little ticked off. "Heh. If you're not running your mouth then you're just running blindly."

  
"Give me a chance and I could easily blind _you_ ," Remus threatened, pulling his weapon back.

  
"There's no reasoning with you, is there Striker?" Thomas asked as he stepped forward and pulled Remus back by the shoulder, a scowl on his face.

  
"Of course there is," Striker said, "give me _the map_ and I'll leave you and your crew _alone_. _That's reasonable_."

  
"That's out of the question!" Gunther snapped, glaring at Striker and his crew.

  
"Gunther's right, Striker," Thomas answered, "it's like I said - we _need_ that map to get _home_."

  
"The _only_ place that map is gonna get you is a sandy grave," Striker muttered. Raising his cutlass, he pointed it at the opposing group. " _Get them!_ "


	14. Attack - Part 2

The sounds of fighting as weapons clanged against each other rang out from the shores in all directions. Shouts from Striker were heard as he ordered his crew to keep up the pace, to not stop fighting until they got a hold of the map. Before he could bark out another order, he jumped back and held his cutlass up, gritting his teeth as Remus pressed down with his own cutlass. "You're all bark and no bite," Remus taunted, only to stumble back when Striker pushed him up and away.

  
"Have you tried looking in a mirror?" Striker growled out, hand gripping his weapon tightly.

  
"I have; it's called " _looking at my brother_ "," Remus quipped, pointing his weapon at Striker, daring him to come closer. ' _Really missing my Morningstar right now; swords just aren't my thing._ '

  
"I feel sorry for anyone stuck being related to _you_ ," Striker muttered, slashing at Remus, a loud clang of metal hitting metal following.

* * *

  
"Bet you're regretting letting us go the first time," Jess said with a snicker as she caught Teal off-guard, knocking the crossbow out of his hand.

  
"Not nearly as much as you're going to regret attacking us again," Teal answered as he dodged out of the way of her sword. Lunging for the crossbow, he swiped it from the ground and quickly loaded a bolt into it. Aiming quickly, he pulled the trigger and shot at Jess, the bolt just barely missing her as she ducked down.

  
"Hey, I happen to like that hat," Jess remarked as the arrow knocked said hat off her head, pinning it to a tree. "Gonna loot the ship for some gold after we take care of you lot; gonna cost some to be fixed after all."

  
"Like you're actually going to get the chance," Teal shot back, loading up another bolt swiftly and rushing past Jess to throw her off.

  
"What the-?" Jess turned, following his movements, only to let out a shout as she was drop-kicked from behind. Landing on the ground with a hard thud, she looked up to see Remy looking down at her. "Oh you have got to be kidding me."

  
"Remy?" Teal asked, not expecting the other figment to help against Jess. "I thought you wanted to deal with the less experienced crew?"

  
"Mmm, yeah, but I noticed you could use some help," Remy shrugged, watching as Teal pointed the crossbow at Jess. "Now what should we do with her?"

  
With an annoyed huff, Jess rolled her eyes, "Hold on, hear me out for a minute."

  
Both figments glanced at each other, having a silent conversation. With a nod from Teal, Remy looked back at Jess. "...Fine, start talking."

* * *

  
"I know yer the one with the map," Milton's voice rang out, getting Logan's attention.

  
"What would make you so sure of that?" Logan asked, frowning as he turned to face the pirate. During the scuffles on the shore, Logan had taken it upon himself to stay by the ship's ramp in case some of Striker's crew tried to sneak onboard. To him, that deduction was turning out to be true with Milton's arrival.

  
"Because among the lot of you, ya seem like the most _responsible_ one," Milton admitted.

  
"While I would normally accept such a statement as a compliment, it is coming from _you_ ," Logan pointed out, reaching into his bag. ' _This is not something I will enjoy doing but for the overall safety of the others..._ ' As swift as the wind, Logan pulled an old-fashioned pistol out, having picked it up earlier at Seastar as an insisted precaution by Virgil.

  
' _Look, I don't like it either but you do know how to use one and...you're not exactly the best fighter, L,_ ' Virgil's awkward-tinged voice rang through his memories.

  
To his relief, Milton merely put his sword down and his hands up. "Now don't go bein' hasty there. I'm just warnin' ya - _do not_ let Striker get his hands on that map."

  
Raising a brow, Logan studied his opponent, "What? You are working with Striker-"

  
"Not for much longer," Milton stated, "tonight, regardless of what happens, _we mutiny_."

  
"Mutiny?" Logan repeated, confusion seeping through despite his attempts at maintaining his composure.

  
Milton nodded his head, a grim expression crossing his face. "That's right. If Striker gets his hands on the treasure he's looking for, he'll doom us all with his recklessness."

  
"Then why wait? Why not stage it now?" Logan asked, lowering the pistol.

  
"Conflict among the ranks," Milton explained, "some of them want to but the others are much too itchin' for a fight after being humiliated by your friends early on. The fightin' will give 'em time to work out their aggression towards y'all."

* * *

  
"You're lookin' worse for wear," Striker remarked, stepping back from Remus, the latter swinging his cutlass tiredly.

  
"If this was my Morningstar then you'd be a bright red mess several times over by now," Remus shot back, "so consider yourself lucky."

  
"Bold words there," Striker said, slashing at Remus, the resulting attack drawing blood from one of his legs. With a pained yelp, Remus staggered backwards, dropping his weapon and clutching at his injured leg.  
Striker merely chuckled as some choice expletives came from Remus, "Well, you got the _mouth_ of a fellow sailor at least." Stalking over to the duke, Striker raised his cutlass above his head and swung down. A clang erupted in Striker's eardrums as his weapon clashed with Thomas's, the other captain glaring at him and pushing back with all his might.

  
As Striker stumbled back, Thomas stepped in front of Remus, cutlass pointed outwards at the other captain. "Roman!" He called out, looking over his shoulder for a split second. "Get Remus back to the ship! I'll handle Striker!"

  
"We'll just see about that, " _Captain_ " Thomas," Striker said, cracking his neck as he did so, watching Roman help Remus stand. "I'm just getting warmed up."

  
The moment Roman and Remus were far enough away from himself and Striker, Thomas rushed forward, swinging his cutlass at the other captain. Striker in turn dodged out of the way, aiming his own at Thomas. The clash of weapons slowly but surely became all that was heard on the shores as Striker's crew began to tire and willingly retreat to their ship. Striker, however, paid no attention to this as he continued to give the fight his all.

  
With a mighty crash, Striker struck Thomas's cutlass with his own. The force behind it caused Thomas to stumble back, losing his grip on the weapon, and subsequently it was knocked out of his hand. Quickly, Striker rushed at Thomas and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, holding the cutlass up to his face as a warning. "Your skills are decent but they still need work. Now - _give me the map_."

  
Instead of replying, Thomas's eyes darted every which way desperately, trying to figure out how to get out of this mess. It was then that his eyes locked onto Virgil, the emo rushing towards himself and Striker. However, Striker was quick on the uptake and turned around, swinging Thomas around with him and held up his cutlass to Thomas's neck. " _Everybody freeze!_ " Striker's voice boomed, drawing everyone's attention and causing Thomas's would-be rescuer to skid to a halt.

  
" _Let. Him. Go._ " Virgil ground out, ready to fight despite his thoughts racing around at 100mph.

  
"Give me the map and I will, no blood will be shed," Striker demanded.

  
"Now hold on Striker," Milton called out, stepping forward so his captain could see him. "You're acting a bit rash, don't you think?" He said, trying to reason with Striker.

  
"I've spent _years_ of my life on this quest," Striker snapped, "the end is _finally_ within reach and I intend to get there, _one way or another_."

  
"Striker, I know you have issues with that Kraken - and rightfully so - but think about it," Thomas said, trying to keep himself calm. "Whose to say that your plan _won't_ backfire? That what you're looking for _doesn't actually exist_? Or that the Kraken will be _too strong_ regardless?"

  
"That, my boy, is a chance I'm fully willing to take," Striker answered, pushing the blade just the tiniest bit closer. "Enough stalling! Give me the map or his blood _will_ be on your hands!"

  
" _Here_ ," Logan said, having been quietly stalking over to the two while everyone was distracted. His face was grim and his eyes burned with a fire that couldn't be denied, his blood boiling as he shoved the map into Striker's face. " _Now let Thomas go_ ," he demanded, a dark glare trained on Striker.

  
With one hand, Striker gripped the map and pulled it away, studying it to make sure it was the real deal. Upon confirmation that it was, Striker moved his cutlass out of the way and roughly shoved Thomas towards Logan. Logan scrambled to catch Thomas before he could fall to the ground and helped him stand. "Pleasure doing business with ye," Striker taunted, a smug smirk slowing crossing his face. "Jess! Milton! Keep on eye on the ship and these scallywags for me!"

  
"What do you m-?" Jess was cut off quickly by Striker.

  
" _What else?_ I'm going to go find my treasure!" Striker snapped, marching off into the wilderness that was the rest of the islands.

  
"Thomas, are you alright?" Logan asked, checking him for any injuries. Right next to him was an increasingly worried Virgil.

  
"I'm fine," Thomas said, rubbing his neck, "but we can't just stand around here. We have to follow him before he gets ahead and we lose sight of him."

  
"You just had a blade held up to your neck by that guy and your immediate plan is to _follow him_?!" Virgil shouted in disbelief, hands gripping his own hair.

  
"We have _no_ choice," Thomas said calmly, walking over to Virgil. Carefully untangling the emo's hands from his head, Thomas began guiding him in their shared breathing exercises. After he was finally calm enough, Thomas continued to speak, "We need to confront him and get the map back. When we do, we'll finally be able to go home; we'll finally be able to relax again. Okay?"

  
Virgil merely nodded his head, "I...yeah...yeah, okay. Just _don't_ scare me like that again, Sanders. ...And you, Logan - you had a pistol, _why_ didn't you shoot him?"

  
"Based on my deductions, even if I _were_ to have shot Striker, he still would have had enough time to harm Thomas before being hit himself," Logan explained, a deep frown on his face. "You of all people know that a _split-second_ in a life or death situation makes all the difference in outcomes. I assure you, if there were _any_ other way, Striker would _not_ have that map nor would he have even gotten away."

  
"It's fine guys, it's fine," Thomas muttered, putting a hand on each of their backs, "what's done is done. We need to focus on _now_."


	15. Kraken, Arise

Striker kept at a brisk pace, looking between the map and the area in front of him every so often. He had no idea how long he'd been walking nor that somewhere Thomas and the others, his own crew included, were following him via the footprints he was leaving behind in the mixture of sand and loose dirt. Even if he did it wouldn't have mattered much to him, his mind much too focused on his task at hand. " _When_ I find the trident that Kraken is as good as _dead_ ," Striker muttered to himself, determination on his face clear as day.

* * *

  
"So if this trident _does_ exist then what's the plan?" Andy asked, moving some of the island's foliage out of his face as he passed through.

  
"Well we all know we at least have to keep it away from Striker," Thomas said, "I would suggest breaking it but if it's _magical_..."

  
"You'd probably need magic to even destroy it then," Jess added, looking none to pleased at this turn of events.

  
"Wait, Gunther knows magic," Thomas simply responded.

  
"I know _some_ magic," Gunther corrected, "you know I'm more of a scientist than a mage."

  
"Still, some is better than _none_ ," Arlo replied, patting him on the back.

  
"Hey - you guys said that map would get you home - do you think it'd do the same for me?" Remus asked in a surprisingly serious voice.

  
"...Gunther?" Thomas asked, glancing over at his friend.

  
"...Hard to say - it _might_ send you back with _us_ or it might send you back home," Gunther answered carefully. "If it does send you back with us then rest assured that I'll work on getting you back to where you belong."

  
"Where are you folks from anyway? The way you talk makes it sounds like the other side of the world or something," Milton said.

  
" _ **Close enough**_ ," Mendax lied, deciding that it would be a lot more hassle than it was worth to even try explaining everything to Striker's crew.

* * *

 

  
"Well, well, look at what we got _here_ ," Striker muttered to himself, looking between the map and the entrance to a small cave. On the map this location was marked with the red " _X_ ", something that had Striker grinning from ear to ear. "Finally... _finally_!" Striker yelled, dashing into the cave, map clenched tightly in his hand.

  
Running in a straight line, Striker eventually reached a makeshift rock pedestal covered in layers of moss and vines. Tossing the map down beside him, Striker swiped at the foliage in rapid succession, quickly revealing an item beneath it; the trident. Said trident was carefully laying in place, the rock conformed around its shape; carefully removing the trident Striker felt a surge of power flow up his right arm as the object started glowing with an ocean blue hue. "After all this time, that Kraken is as good as dead!" He yelled triumphantly, holding the trident above his head.

  
Aiming quickly at the roof of the cave, Striker concentrated on the energy he felt in his arm, willing it to do anything really. "Preferably blowing this place up," Striker snarked to himself. To his surprise, the trident's points began to glow as a beam shot out from them, hitting the rocky roof with a loud boom; the next thing Striker knew, all that was left of the cave were rocks scattered around, the pedestal now exposed to the outside elements. "...Now _that's_ power..."

  
" _Captain!_ " Jess.

  
" _Striker!_ " Thomas.

  
Striker rolled his eyes and turned around, seeing both his crew and Thomas's crew come out from the surrounding trees. "I _told you_ _all_ that the trident exists!" Striker exclaimed in an arrogant tone, holding said item up so all of them could see it. "That Kraken will _finally_ get what's coming to it!"

  
"The only thing that's going to happen is you getting us all killed!" Milton yelled at him angrily.

  
"What did I _just_ say?! If _anyone's_ going to be killed, it'll be that damn Kraken!" Striker yelled, sidestepping around the group while pointing the trident as them as a warning.

  
"Enough of this," Jess growled out, one of her hands clenched into a fist. Glancing at the rest of Striker's crew she pointed at him, " _Get him!_ "

  
"Wait a minute!" Despite Thomas's protests, Striker's crew rushed at their captain, weapons raised and ready. In return, Striker used the trident to zap them all in one fell swoop, sending them flying back into the surrounding environment.

  
Upon hearing groans and seeing them sit up in their dazed states, Striker merely waved his hand dismissively. " _See?_ They're fine enough; the only one who'll be killed is the Kraken." At that Striker took off running, heading as fast as he could back to shore.

  
"...After him!" Thomas shouted, leading his group after Striker after a moment's hesitation.

  
"Did they just...?" Jess trailed off, looking between the quickly retreating group and Striker's crew.

  
"Go follow them!" Milton insisted, waving his hand in their direction. "I'll see about getting the crew back to their feet."

  
"You _sure_?" Jess asked looking back, already half-way between walking and sprinting.

  
"'Course I am, now _go_!" Milton yelled, watching her take off. "And be careful!"

* * *

  
Captain Striker dodged out of the way as a bolt from Teal's crossbow nearly hit his leg. "Yer a sharp shooter but that means nothin' when your target is as quick as a hare!" He called back tauntingly, only to have a bolt shoot through his hat, knocking it clear off his head. ' _What's with him and shooting people's hats?_ ' Striker thought to himself before focusing back on his task at hand.

  
Upon reaching the shoreline, Striker rushed towards the water's edge and held up the trident. "Now! Vengeance is-!"

  
" _Striker! Stop!_ "

  
Striker glanced back at Thomas; the latter, filled with determination to put an end to Striker's plan, sprinted with a burst of speed and tackled Striker to the ground. The trident was knocked out of Striker's hand in the scuffle which didn't go unnoticed by Thomas. "Guys, one of you grab that thing!" He yelled out while he tried to keep Striker pinned down for as long as possible.

  
"Over my dead body!" Striker yelled, shoving Thomas off of him. However, he was too late as Remus grabbed the trident and cackled, jumping back from Striker's hands.

  
"My weapon now!" Remus yelled gleefully, laughing as he kept dodging Striker, the captain now slashing at him wildly with his cutlass. While Remus was busy playing keep away, though, he didn't notice the trident had started to glow.

  
"Shit- the trident!" Striker screamed, lunging at Remus.

  
"Huh?" Remus blinked and looked at the trident in confusion at the same moment Striker tackled him. " _Hey!_ "

  
Striker only growled in response, reaching for the trident. As soon as his hand touched it, a beam shot out and into the ocean. Everything was silent as they watched and waited only for nothing to happen. " _What_...?"

  
"All of that for nothing..." Logan noted, watching from a safe distance near Thomas.

  
" _No way_ \- there's _no way_ we're _that_ lucky," Virgil argued, fidgeting a bit with his hands.

  
"I don't know Emo Knightmare, I think Logan might-" Roman's words died in his throat as the water began to ripple quickly. Suddenly, a giant tentacle launched into the sky, slamming back down and causing a massive wave to hit the shore, drenching the group and knocking them to the ground.

  
Immediately Remus's eyes lit up, "My brethren!"

  
"The Kraken!" Striker yelled eagerly, scrambling to his feet, trident in hand. "Come out and face me!" As if answering him, a giant beast began to rise from the depths of the ocean, letting out a fierce roar.

  
"Striker, you _need_ to _stop_ this!" Jess yelled at the captain, having caught up with the others. "Use the trident to send it back! Just- _something!_ "

  
"Oh, I'll send it back alright... _as a corpse_!" Striker shouted, taking the trident into both hands as several tentacles hit the shoreline, the beast dragging itself onto the island. Said creature easily towered over all of them but Striker would not be deterred in his vengeance-fueled conquest.


	16. Home

Remus scrambled back as Striker dashed towards the Kraken. On one hand, Striker was exactly the kind of person Remus would love to hit with the Morningstar repeatedly. But on the other hand, the Kraken was angry and was potentially posing a threat to everyone, himself included. However, on a third hand - the thought of more than two hands caused an image of the Deceit that he knew to flash in his mind, making him grin - this Kraken was basically a giant octopus and Remus didn't want any harm to come to his beloved sea animal of choice. With a huff, Remus cracked his neck and took off after Striker.

  
Striker, to everyone's surprise and to the Kraken's rage, was holding his own easily with the power of the trident. Every time the Kraken would try to slam a tentacle down on him, he'd shoot it away before moving. Slowly but surely, he edged his way toward the back of the Kraken, out of its line of sight. Raising the weapon, Striker plunged it into one of the beast's tentacles, causing it to let out a roar of pain.  
This roaring intensified as Striker focused on blasting the Kraken at extremely close range. When the Kraken made a move to knocked Striker to the ground with one of its uninjured appendages, he yanked out the trident and dodged out of the way. "All these years - you're not so mighty like you think!" Striker yelled up at the Kraken.

  
"Neither are you!" Remus shouted, pouncing at the pirate and wrestling along the ground with him.

  
" _What_ _are you_ _doing_?!" Striker screamed, punching at Remus with one hand as the other kept its hold on the trident.

  
"Keeping that Kraken _safe_ from the likes of _you_!" Remus shouted back, a genuinely angry look on his face. "People like _you_ only ever see a monster that needs to be destroyed!"

  
" _I demand vengeance!_ " Striker argued, kicking Remus off of him.

  
" _So did I!_ " Remus shot back, stumbling backwards. "When Moral- _someone_ I know caused a _king_ to disappear years ago, I wanted vengeance! I wanted it _so bad_ but when I finally got a chance? I... I _didn't_ take it - I didn't take it because the person didn't even realize what is was that they did. Do you really think that this Kraken realizes what it did - whatever your issue is?"

  
" _I..._ " Striker took a step back right into one of the Kraken's tentacles, said beast having turned itself around to face its attacker. With a roar, the Kraken grabbed Striker and lifted him high into the air, the trident falling from his hand.

  
" _Oh shit_ ," Remus muttered, looking up at the Kraken before his gaze turned to said trident. While the beast was distracted with tossing Striker around between its tentacles, Remus quickly and quietly grabbed the weapon. Scurrying over to Thomas and the others, Remus took a moment to catch his breath.

  
"Normally, I'd just do something _without_ thinking first but given the circumstances..." Remus trailed off, looking over at the Kraken. "Would anyone be opposed to me to sending the Kraken back into the ocean _without_ harming it?"

  
"I don't care _what_ you do as long as that thing doesn't target _us_ next," Jess said, looking at the scene before her with worry.

  
Thomas spoke after glancing around at his group, each one giving their own signs of approval of the plan, "She's right. Just get that Kraken back to where it belongs."

  
"You got it Tommy boy," Remus mock-saluted, taking the trident in both hands. Inching his way towards the Kraken, he could hear Striker cursing up a storm as the Kraken held him upside down with one tentacle, an unreadable expression in its eyes. "Hey there Kraken!" Remus called up to it, getting its attention.

  
Pinning Striker to the ground, it used one of its other tentacles to shove Remus towards itself. "Oof, you're strong," Remus complemented the beast. _'This is going better than I thought it would. Stupid pirate making this beautiful creature angry.'_

  
"What are you doing _now_?!" Striker called out, causing the tentacle to press down on his back as a warning.

  
"Just fixing _your mess_ ," Remus snarked, his mind more focused on getting the Kraken back to where it belongs. The trident seemed to pick up on this as it began to glow in his hands. " _See?_ The trident even works for me and everything!"

  
Looking up at the beast, Remus took a deep breath. "Please work," he muttered as he gazed at the item in his hands, "it's time for this wonderful Kraken to go home." As if on cue, a beam came out of the trident and hit the Kraken; however, unlike previously, it wasn't harshly powerful. To Striker's surprise and Remus's relief, the Kraken let the pirate go after a long moment of silence.

  
While Striker got to his feet, the Kraken turned to face the ocean and began to drag itself back, away from the island. "What the-? _Get back here!_ _This is nowhere near over_!" Striker yelled at the Kraken, who just ignored him and continued on its path back into the ocean depths.

  
"Let it go Striker!" Jess called out, "That thing would have _killed you_ if the green guy didn't intervene!"

  
"I spent literal _years_ on this quest," Striker muttered, angrily side-eyeing Remus. Digging into his coat pocket, Striker fished out what he was looking for and stalked over to Remus. Remus held up the trident in defense but Striker refused to stop; instead he leaped at Remus, catching him off guard.

  
Remus let out a howl of pain as something sharp pierced his shoulder. Striker grinned and yanked his hand away; in it was a sharp and bloodied dagger. Thinking fast, Remus shoved Striker off of himself hard enough that the pirate stumbled and fell backwards into the water. Growling, Striker moved to get back to his feet only to hear the tell-tale sound of a tentacle rising from the water. In an instant the tentacle slammed down on Striker, earning an ear-piercing scream in the process, and while the pirate desperately thrashed against it he was no match for the Kraken's might. As soon as it reappeared it was gone again, this time taking Striker with it.

* * *

  
Remus hissed in pain as a wet cloth was dabbing at the wound on his shoulder. "Easy now," Milton said, "I have to make sure it's clean before we bandage it up."

  
"I _can't_ believe that actually _worked_ ," Thomas said, sitting on a chair across from Remus, the other sitting on one of the beds below the deck of his ship.

  
" _I_ can't believe you actually let me do that," Remus said, hissing again as the bandage was applied this time. "My Thomas would have probably screamed in terror at my mere presence."

  
"All done," Milton said, standing up and taking the bloodied cloth with him. "Are you sure your crew doesn't want to follow us back to Seastar, Captain Thomas?"

  
"We're sure," Thomas affirmed, "thanks for the offer. Are you _absolutely_ _sure_ you want us to keep the trident though?"

  
"Boy, the way I see it, this one," Milton gestured at Remus, "more than earned the right to keep the trident on your behalf. Just promise not to go doin' anything remotely similar to what Striker was doin', got it?"

  
"Got it," both of them answered. Once they were left alone, Thomas turned to Remus.

  
"So...before we use the trident to fix things - can you tell me about the others from your home?" Thomas asked, looking more and more curious by the second.

  
"Sure thing Tom Tom, what do you want to know?" Remus asked, wincing when he moved his shoulder the wrong way.

  
"Well, I suppose the other sides would be a good place to start?" Thomas suggested, leaning back in his chair.

  
"Okay!" Remus agreed, "Well first, there's of course Roman, Virgil, Logan, Patton, and Deccy-"

  
" _Deccy_?" Thomas interrupted, trying not to chuckle.

  
Remus grinned mischievously, "One of my nicknames for Deceit, it gets a rise out of him. Then there's me, and Orange and Pink."

  
That caught Thomas's attention real fast, " _Orange_? One of my counterparts' sides has that color. And... _Pink_? Don't either of them have titles or even names?"

  
Remus shrugged, "They do but those two are just so damn _secretive_. I think Deceit is the only one that knows who exactly they are."

  
"...I see..." Thomas said, not realizing that he was leaning forward in his chair. "What about the others like Remy?"

  
"They're around - and I'll be honest, the caffeine boy gets along _a lot_ better with the other emo here than at home," Remus answered. "Same can be said for Virgil and Deceit."

  
"That's...unfortunate..." Thomas trailed off in disbelief.

  
"Deceit and the other emo get along really well though," Remus added, "so not a _complete_ downer answer I guess?"

  
"Yeah, I guess..." Thomas replied, seemingly lost in thought.

* * *

  
"Everyone ready to go home?" Thomas asked, looking around. The group was standing back on the shore, Striker's former crew having long since sailed away. Upon hearing the various confirmations, Thomas was ready to see if the trident would indeed work. However, a thought popped to mind. "Hold on. Gunther, long shot but do you happen to have any extra communicators on you?"

  
Gunther blinked and reached into coat pocket, pulling one out. "This is the one I had on me, any extras are stashed away at home. Why?"

  
"Do you mind if I give that one to Remus then?" Thomas asked, smiling when Gunther nodded his head and handed the communicator over.

  
" _What?_ " Remus asked, dumbfounded as Thomas handed him the device.

  
"It'll let you speak with any of us whenever you want," Gunther explained.

  
"But...why are you giving one to _me_?" Remus said, confused.

  
"After the stunt you pulled with the Kraken, I'd say you've proven yourself trustworthy with it," Thomas explained. He then whispered to Remus, "Besides, your Thomas might be afraid of you but I'm sure not."

  
Remus felt himself grinning as he clutched the item tightly, "Thank you then, I'm really honored."

  
"Well, only one thing left now," Thomas said as the trident started glowing.

* * *

 

With a bright flash of light, the group reappeared in Thomas's home, all back in their normal clothes.

  
"Ugh, _finally_ ," Remy muttered, flopping down into the nearest chair.

  
"You can say that again," Andy muttered in agreement, sitting on the sofa.

  
While everyone got their bearings, Logan realized that the bag with the book in it actually went with them. Peering into it, he pulled out the book and put it on the coffee table. "Everyone? _Look._ "

  
"What the-?" Thomas stared down at the once blank book cover, now filled with a picture of a pirate ship and the Kraken on it. In gold lettering read the words ' _Treasure Hunt: The Search for the Kraken_ '. Flipping through the pages, words danced across them, detailing Striker's journey to find the Kraken and the unnamed pirates who inadvertently interrupted it.

  
"...Magic," Pryce said simply.

  
"Definitely," Gunther agreed.

* * *

  
Remus blinked as he ended up in an unfamiliar place with a couple of very familiar people.

  
" _Remus?!_ " Deceit yelled in disbelief.

  
Upon seeing the two, Remus grabbed them both, dragging them into a bear hug. " _Deccy_! _Other emo_! Wait...where are we?" He asked, looking around.

  
"In LA- now how did you even get _here_?!" Andy yelled, trying to escape Remus's grip.

  
"Magic!" Remus said cheerfully, as if that was a completely normal answer.

  
" _What_ ," both of them deadpanned at the same time. Just then the lock to the door of place, a hotel room Remus finally realized, clicked open and someone stepped inside. When the person walked into the room, he just stared in confusion.

  
"...Did I miss something here?" He finally asked.

  
"We all did, Wayne. _We all did_ ," Deceit muttered, shaking his head.

* * *

  
When everyone else turned in for some much needed relaxation without any interruptions, Thomas flopped down on his bed. Looking up, he noticed his communicator was active. Grabbing it, he turned it on and was greeted with the sound of his D3 counterpart's voice.

  
_"Guys? You there?"_

  
Just then his D2 counterpart yelled, _"Gifre! You and Brant need to knock it off!"_

  
Shaking his head, Thomas took the chance to answer, "...I don't know what's going on at his end but I'm here."

  
_"I'm here, I'm here! Sorry about that, Greed and Pride were arguing, as usual,"_ their D2 counterpart said. _"What's up?"_

  
_"Things ended up working out here,"_ their D3 counterpart answered. _"The Dragon Witch is gone and Shadow isn't acting as a threat anymore. What about you guys?"_

  
_"Well, the arguing literally just stopped so that's how things are with us,"_ came the response from D2.

  
Thomas quietly snickered at the mental image and shook his head, "We're still working on some stuff but everything's okay now. We'll fill you guys in once we're done. Right now, I want to hear everything that happened since Gunther left your dimension."

  
_"Find a place to relax then because there's a lot to tell,"_ was the response from D3.  Hours passed by and as he glanced over at the book that was now sitting on his desk, one thought crossed Thomas's mind. ' _It's good to be home_.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where is Remus from? Why don't you have a look?
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/series/1430398


End file.
